Election Commission suspend 2 Bengal cops in Murshidabad

Kolkata, April 20, 2024 : The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended two police officers of OC rank in West Bengal. Those suspended are officers-in charge of Saktipur and Beldanga police stations in Murshidabad district. They failed to contain violence on April 17 in their respective jurisdiction. Both have been charged with dereliction of
duty by the ECI, who has directed the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to execute the order forthwith and send new panel of officers to replace them. The ECI in a letter to the CEO on Friday also directed issuing chargesheets against them and send a new panel of officers by 12 pm Saturday. The OCs of Saktipur Raju Mukherjee and Beldanga OC Md Jamal Uddi Mondal be transferred to Police Headquarters forthwith, the EC directed.
“The two Police Officers Saktipur and Beldanga failed in containing and preventing repeated communal violence in areas under their jurisdiction.” the ECI charged. The letter said that during suspension, OCs of Saktipur and Beldanga shall be attached to police headquarters. The ECI has also directed that chargesheet shall be issued against the suspended officers by the competent authority forthwith. The ECI on Monday ordered the removal of DIG of Murshidabad following the violence, and for the officer’s “lack of supervision” to immediately prevent more incidents, sources said. Two violent incidents were reported in the district in which weapons and explosives were used. The ECI on Tuesday appointed Syed Waquar Raza as DIG Murshidabad Range. Earlier this month, the poll panel had removed IPS officer Saumya Roy, who was acting as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) of South West (Behala) division of Kolkata Police to a non-electionrelated post. In a first soon after the general election was announced in mid-March the ECI removed West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar as well.