ASI’s neighbours refuse to accept Sinha’s allegations

Refusing to believe the allegations brought by the national president of BJP Rahul Sinha against the assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Subhashis Roy Chowdhury of the city police’s Special Branch, his neighbours claimed that it is not possible for a person like Chowdhury to be a part of any cow smuggling racket. 

It may be mentioned that the ASI and a constable Aminul Rahman of the Kolkata Police were suspended after Sinha raised an allegation that they offered him bribe to get help to smuggle cows across the border.

Both were taken to Jorasanko police station from the BJP headquarters in the city on Tuesday afternoon. 

Sinha had alleged that they were implanted for a sting operation. They were released from the police station on Monday night. 

Sources in the police said preliminary investigation had revealed that no apparatus like video camera was with them. No video suggesting a sting operation was found in their mobile phones as well. But the duo was suspended on the basis of the allegation and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against them. 

Neighbours of Chowdhury on Tuesday claimed that he had been staying in the locality for decades and no one had never even heard a canard against him. 

They said he was a person who always came forward to help the people in the locality. 

They feel that Chowdhury and the constable posted at the city police Special Branch has been trapped for political mileage. It is difficult for them to comment that what was right and wrong. But they are yet to believe that a simple ASI can approach such a senior political leader to offer him bribe. 

Recollecting what the constable said after being released from the police station on Monday night, they claimed that he told the media that they went to Sinha for a personal reason. They would have contacted Sinha somewhere outside instead of meeting him in the party’s headquarters. They were found confident saying that a probe has been initiated and it will prove that they were innocent.

The matter has not gone well with the rank and file of both the Kolkata Police and the state police. The policemen in the rank of inspector, sub-inspector, assistant sub-inspector and constable have started discussing that how they will perform their duty fearlessly if they get trapped in such a way for political benefits. They declined to believe that the ASI and the constable had approached the national president of BJP offering him bribe. 

An ASI said on condition of anonymity: “We are human beings first and then a policeman. We also need to meet many people including politicians for various reasons. It will be unfortunate if the politicians start trapping policemen for political mileage.” 

Sinha on Tuesday went to the Election Commission to inform them that the officers have been released on Monday night and the police have not taken any action against them. 

Demanding a CBI probe into the incident, Sinha said it would not be possible for the Kolkata Police to probe into the incident as the matter is of smuggling cows across the border. 

Dibyendu Sarkar, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, said a “detailed factual report” has been sought from the state’s home secretary in this connection. The matter has also been informed to the Election Commission of India and the report will be forwarded as soon as they get. 

Akhilesh Chaturvedi, deputy commissioner (central division), has submitted the inquiry report in this connection. On Tuesday morning, both the ASI and the constable were questioned by the deputy commissioner. It is learnt that the duo told the deputy commissioner that they were being trapped and all the allegations brought against them are false. 

Sources said that a team comprising officers from the Special Task Force of the city police has been formed to find out whether the duo really have any connection with cow smuggling racket.