NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday took serious notice on Malda incident where seven judicial officers engaged in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise were held hostage for several hours. The court also issued showcause notices to top West Bengal officials, including the chief secretary and DGP.The strong response came after reports that the officers, including three women, were detained in Malda by a group of voters whose names had been deleted from the electoral rolls.The court asked the chief secretary and DGP to explain why action should not be taken against them, calling the incident an “abdication of duty” and seeking reasons for their “inaction.”Terming the episode “deplorable,” the top court said the protest appeared to be a “calculated and motivated” attempt to demoralise judicial officers and disrupt the ongoing electoral process. It added that it would not allow anyone to interfere with the process or take the law into their own hands to carry out a psychological attack on officials.The court observed that it was imperative for the Mamata Banerjee-led state government to inform the Election Commission and seek deployment of central forces to ensure the safety of judicial officers. It also allowed the Election Commission to seek either a CBI or NIA probe into the incident.Noting a “complete breakdown of law and order” in the state, the court directed that central forces be deployed to protect officers handling objections under the SIR process.The Supreme Court further appealed to leaders across political parties not to politicise the issue and to speak in one voice on ensuring the safety of officials performing their duties. It also stressed that those entrusted with maintaining law and order must remain more vigilant.

What happened in Malda

The incident took place during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists. Seven judicial officers, including three women, were surrounded and held for several hours by protesters.Officials said the protest began outside the Kaliachak 2 Block Development Office when people demanded a meeting with the officers. After being denied entry, the crowd started protesting around 4 pm and later blocked the premises, continuing late into the night.The protests were triggered by the deletion of names from voter lists and spread across Malda, with road blockades reported in multiple areas, affecting normal life.

BJP reacts

Union minister and BJP leader Sukanta Majumdar condemned the incident and blamed the situation on statements by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.In a video message, he alleged that the officers’ vehicles were vandalised and roads were blocked during the incident. He also said the situation in West Bengal was worrying.“What happened is something that scares everyone. 7 judicial magistrates had gone there. They were not only stopped there but their vehicles were also vandalised. When SP was rescuing them from there, women judicial magistrates’ vehicles were vandalised. Roads were blocked to see that no vehicle passes through. During the rule of Left Front, Anita Dewan – a woman official, was dragged out of her vehicle and beaten to death. This was a similar plan. Mamata Banerjee’s continuous instigating statements are responsible for this,” said Majumdar.

Bengaluru techie dies by suicide after baby drowns in bucket

BENGALURU: An eleven-month-old baby boy accidentally drowned in a bucket of water, following which his mother, unable to cope with the loss, died by suicide, leaving behind a note on Wednesday.The incident occurred in in Byraveshwaranagar in West Bengaluru.The deceased infant has been identified as Agasthya Wali, while the mother, Pratibha (29), was a software professional working from home. Her husband, Mahantesh Wali, who is also a software engineer was away at work at the time of the incident.According to police and preliminary investigation, Pratibha had briefly gone to the terrace in the evening to collect dried clothes, leaving the infant alone at home. During this time, the child is believed to have wandered into the bathroom, where he accidentally fell into a bucket filled with water and drowned.A devastated Pratibha, unable to save her child, reportedly blamed herself for the tragedy. In a note recovered from the scene, she wrote that she felt responsible for her son’s death and could not live with the guilt.Police said she initially attempted suicide by consuming tablets and injuring her wrist, but when that failed, she ultimately hanged herself.The incident came to light at night when Mahantesh returned home. After receiving no response despite repeated attempts, he used a spare key to enter the house, only to find his wife hanging and the child lying lifeless on the bed.According to Mahantesh’s complaint, he returned home around 6.30 pm. When there was no response after knocking on the door, he called his wife, but the calls went unanswered. He then opened a window, retrieved the key and unlocked the door, only to find her hanging with a saree. Dolo 650 empty strips were found lying next to the infant, and her left wrist was cut. A note and an empty strip of tablets were found next to the infant and were recovered from the spot.A case of unnatural death has been registered at Chandra Layout police station, and further investigation is underway.

Rupee saw a strong rebound in early trading on Thursday, climbing 151 paise from its record low to reach 93.19 against the US dollar, following a regulatory step by the Reserve Bank aimed to restrict banks’ net open position in the onshore forward delivery market.Rupee began the day in green at 94.62 against the greenback in the interbank foreign exchange market before gaining ground sharply. The move marked a 1.6 % rise compared to its previous closing level.The recovery comes after a turbulent stretch for rupee, which had slipped past the 95 mark earlier in the week and ended Monday at 94.70. In the previous week, it had hit an all-time low of 94.84 against the dollar, triggering intervention from the central bank.As part of its latest measures, the Reserve Bank, through a circular issued on March 27, 2026, placed a cap of $100 million on banks’ net open positions in rupee, with compliance required by April 10.Even as the currency recovered, underlying pressures remained. Forex analysts pointed to continued foreign fund outflows, a firming US dollar and elevated crude oil prices, all set against a volatile geopolitical environment.The dollar index was up 0.32% at 99.77, indicating strength in the greenback against major global currencies. At the same time, Brent crude futures rose 4.84% to $106.06 per barrel.Equity markets mirrored the cautious mood. In early trade, the Sensex fell 1,312.91 points, or 1.80%, to 71,821.41, while the Nifty declined 410.45 points, or 1.81%, to 22,383.40.Data from exchanges showed foreign institutional investors remained net sellers, offloading equities worth Rs 8,331.15 crore on Wednesday.“The high crude price, the widening trade deficit, the fear of declining remittances and sustained FPI selling are acting cumulatively to put high pressure on the rupee,” said VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.Rupee’s recent trend reflects broader pressures. It has weakened by more than 4% since the onset of the Middle East war on February 28, 2026, and recorded a decline of nearly 10 per cent over the fiscal year ending March 2026.Meanwhile, official data released on Wednesday showed goods and services tax collections rose around 9% in March, crossing the Rs 2 lakh crore mark. The figure represents the third-highest monthly collection in the 2025-26 fiscal year, supported by revenues from both imports and domestic transactions.