EC suspends 4 Kolkata Police officers over lapses during Suvendu’s nomination

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday suspended four police officers for alleged lapses in maintaining law and order during the BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari’s nomination filing for the Bhowanipore Assembly Constituency, which was attended by Union Home minister Amit Shah. The Commission has also ordered departmental proceedings against the officers.

In a letter to Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala, the Commission ordered the suspension of Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner II (South Division) Siddhartha Dutta, Alipore police station OC Priyankar Chakraborty, Additional OC Chandi Charan Bandyopadhyay and Sergeant Sourabh Chattopadhyay.

According to the Commission’s directive, the four officers must be suspended immediately. The Chief Secretary has been asked to submit a compliance report by 11 am on Sunday.

The Commission further directed the Chief Secretary to furnish a proposal to fill up the vacant positions on an urgent basis. The Commission, in its communique has mentioned that the suspension and disciplinary proceedings against the police officials followed the recommendation made by the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer.

According to sources, three separate complaints were lodged at Kalighat and Alipore police stations in connection with the violence, based on which the police registered FIRs. Two of the FIRs were filed suo motu, while another was initiated on the basis of poll body’s complaint. The allegations primarily related to unlawful assembly, sloganeering and counter-sloganeering, the escalation of tensions, and the violation of official guidelines.

The unrest had erupted on Thursday during a roadshow that began at Hazra crossing and proceeded up to the Survey Building in Alipore, where Adhikari went to file his nomination papers in the presence of Amit Shah.

Trouble began when the procession passed near Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee’s residence, where TMC supporters were staging a protest with black cloth tied around their heads.

An argument soon broke out between Trinamool and BJP supporters, which eventually escalated into a scuffle.