Beldanga Battle: Supreme Court Refuses to Halt NIA Probe, Sends State’s Plea Back to Bengal Bench
The Supreme Court rejected on February 11, 2026 the plea filed by the West Bengal government against the NIA investigation of the Beldanga violence, and sent it back to the Calcutta High Court. The key observations and directions given by the division bench comprising of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi were as follows:
No Stay on Investigation: The Supreme Court ordered no stay of the current investigation by NIA, the central agency may continue with its investigation. Report to High Court one NIA has been asked to provide a progress report in closed cover to the Calcutta High Court.
Independent Review: The independent review will be carried out by the division bench of the High Court under the leadership of the Chief Justice to see whether the circumstances justified the use of the UAPA (Unlawful Activities Prevention Act). Courts Observation: The court observed that all cases of emotional outcry of people cannot be termed as a threat to the national economic security to warrant extreme UAPA charges.
State Objection: Bengal government stated that the Centre had ordered NIA investigation without going through a single case diaries or document. The Supreme Court indicated that the state has the right to present the following grievances to the High Court. The Beldanga, Murshidabad, violence erupted in mid January, 2026 after the murder of a migrant worker. The High Court had given the Centre the freedom to determine whether an investigation by NIA should be undertaken subsequently following a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Suvendu Adhikari, a move that the state later appealed against in the top court.
