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Supreme Court Invokes Article 142 to Transfer Malda Judicial Officers Gherao Case to NIA, Slams West Bengal Bureaucracy

Target:UPSC GS-IIMPSCTeachingSSC GAPrelims HighMains HighStatic GK Link
06 Apr 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:Article 142April 1, 2026
Bodies:Supreme CourtNational Investigation Agency (NIA)Calcutta High CourtElection Commission of India (ECI)
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.The Supreme Court invoked Article 142 to transfer investigation of the Malda judicial officers gherao case from West Bengal Police to the NIA.

2.The bench criticized the state's Chief Secretary and DGP for a 'sheer failure' of administration, directing the Chief Secretary to apologize to the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice.

3.The court emphasized the NIA's authority to register further FIRs and mandated that status reports be submitted to the Supreme Court before filing a final chargesheet.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · High

The Supreme Court has invoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 to transfer the probe into the gherao of judicial officers in West Bengal's Malda district from the state police to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This rare intervention underscores a severe breakdown in law and order and highlights judicial concerns over state administration's non-cooperation with constitutional authorities.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

SC BenchCJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi & Vipul M Pancholi
Constitutional Power InvokedArticle 142
Incident DateApril 1, 2026
Agency Taking Over ProbeNational Investigation Agency (NIA)

1-Minute Revision

  • ›SC Bench: CJI Surya Kant, Justices Joymalya Bagchi & Vipul M Pancholi
  • ›Constitutional Power Invoked: Article 142
  • ›Target this Legal Point: Article 142 of the Constitution invoked by the Supreme Court.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: National Investigation Agency (NIA) taking over the probe.
  • ›Target this Data: The incident date - April 1, 2026, in Malda, West Bengal.

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Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which central investigation agency was directed by the Supreme Court to take over the probe into the Malda gherao case?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the Supreme Court's order on the Malda gherao case:

1. The Court invoked its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to transfer the case.

2. The Court directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to apologize to the Chief Justice of India.

3. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was asked to submit investigation reports directly to the Supreme Court before filing a chargesheet.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

On which date did the gherao of judicial officers, which led to the Supreme Court's intervention, occur in Malda?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What was the primary reason cited by the Supreme Court for transferring the Malda case investigation to the NIA?

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