New Delhi, April 3 -- The Election Commission of India on Friday stated that Advocate Mofakkarul Islam, the mastermind of the Kaliyachak Murshidabad case, has been arrested at the Bagdogra Airport when he was trying to flee.

This comes after seven judicial officers, including three women, were held hostage by villagers in Malda district on Wednesday.

The standoff was triggered by mass deletions from the electoral rolls under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. The incident was part of a broader wave of protests that paralysed Malda throughout the day, as demonstrators staged road blockades across national and state highways and key rural routes in at least five Assembly constituencies.

Earlier on Thursday, West Bengal...