ECI removes 3 police officers from poll duty ahead of phase VII

Kolkata: Three days ahead of the seventh phase polls in Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday ordered the immediate removal of three senior police officers in the state. The Commission has asked the state secretariat to send names for their replacements.

The ECI ordered the removal of the sub-divisional police officer (SDPO) in North 24-Parganas’ Sandeshkhali Aminul Islam from election duty. Sandeshkhali falls under Basirhat Lok Sabha seat.

Nine Lok Sabha constituencies in Bengal are going to polls on June 1. Sandeshkhali is also one of the seven Assembly segments under the Basirhat Lok Sabha. The ECI also ordered the removal of Koteshwar Rao, the SP of Sundarbans in South 24-Parganas district, which covers parts of two Lok Sabha constituencies — Jaynagar and Mathurapur.

The ECI also ordered the replacement of the inspector-in-charge of Rahara Police Station Debasish Sarkar. Rahara comes under the Dum Dum Lok Sabha constituency in North 24-Parganas.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said that there are clear instructions from the poll panel that these officers cannot be assigned any election-related duty.