The Supreme Court of India has strongly reacted to a shocking incident in West Bengal, where seven judicial officers were held hostage for over nine hours in Malda.

The officers were surrounded by a group of people angry over their names being removed from the voter list during a revision drive. They were rescued only after midnight with the help of police and paramilitary forces.

During the rescue, their vehicles were also attacked with stones.

The bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant called the incident “serious” and said it looked like a planned attempt to scare and pressure judicial officers. He made it clear that such actions cannot be tolerated and that no one can take the law into their own hands.

Justice Joymalya Bagchi also said that all political leaders should come together to condemn what happened and ensure that officers on duty are protected.

The Court expressed concern that help did not reach the officers in time and pointed out possible lapses by authorities. It said the safety of judicial officers must be ensured at all costs, especially when they are performing official duties.

To get to the bottom of the incident, the Court has asked the Election Commission of India to have the matter investigated by either the Central Bureau of Investigation or the National Investigation Agency.

The Court will also keep an eye on the investigation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that law and order was not in the state government’s control because of the Model Code of Conduct, and that the Election Commission was currently overseeing the administration.