'You can't be so high...': Supreme Court pulls up Bengal top brass over Malda hostage crisis

The bench expressed concern over the lack of response from senior officials when the situation escalated.

“What’s the problem, Mr Chief Secretary? You don’t even take the call of the Chief Justice?” the Chief Justice of India remarked, questioning the accessibility of the state’s top bureaucrat.

Concerns over inaccessibility

Appearing via video conference, the Chief Secretary stated that he was in Delhi for official work and did not receive any calls.

However, the bench questioned this explanation and highlighted the importance of maintaining communication during emergencies.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that timely access to contact details could have helped manage the situation more effectively.

When the official maintained that his number was available, the court responded that senior officials must remain reachable at all times.

“You cannot be so high that the Chief Justice has no access to you. Please lower yourselves so that even the Chief Justice can connect to you,” Justice Bagchi said.

Court orders written apology

The Supreme Court directed both the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to issue a written apology to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.

The bench described the situation as a failure of both the civil administration and law enforcement.

“You must apologise — it is the sheer failure of your civilian administration and the police authorities,” the court observed, linking the lapse to the need for judicial intervention.

Nine-hour hostage crisis

The incident involved seven judicial officers who were engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Malda.

They were reportedly surrounded by a crowd for nearly nine hours before being rescued late at night.

The Chief Justice of India noted that the situation began in the afternoon but came to his attention only late at night.

He highlighted that a large crowd had gathered during this period, raising concerns about law and order management.

Questions on ground-level police response

The bench also scrutinised the response of local authorities present at the site.

It referred to submissions indicating that senior district officials were present but did not intervene effectively.

“They were just watching,” the court observed, citing remarks attributed to the local police that action could not be taken due to the presence of women in the crowd.

NIA probe

The Supreme Court directed that the investigation be handed over to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), citing serious allegations in the case.

It instructed the state police to transfer all records and provide full assistance to the central agency.

The court also asked investigating authorities to identify those responsible for instigating the incident, noting that the gathering appeared organised rather than spontaneous.

“Find out who is responsible — we want to take this to a logical conclusion,” the bench stated.

Administrative cooperation ordered

While refraining from immediate punitive measures, the court said it would await a report from the Chief Justice before deciding on further action.

It directed the state administration to extend full cooperation during the ongoing electoral revision process.

The remarks came amid broader concerns over coordination between administrative authorities and judicial institutions during sensitive proceedings.