West Bengal polls: ECI deploys 11 more police observers for phase 2; 5 cops suspended in Diamond Harbour

For a watertight Phase 2 of the West Bengal Assembly elections on April 29, the ECI has appointed 11 additional police observers. Meanwhile, five officers in Diamond Harbour have been suspended for dereliction of duty.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday announced the appointment of 11 additional police observers for the second phase of the two-phase West Bengal Assembly polls for 142 constituencies on April 29. 

Confirming the development, an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that all these 11 additional police observers are coming from other states, and the main reason behind their appointment is to make the security system more watertight for the second phase of polling.

“The commission is trying to eliminate the possibility of the slightest tension in the second phase of the election, which is why the number of police observers has been increased. Despite putting in place an effective security mechanism in the first phase of polling on April 23, there had been stray incidents of tension and violence on that day. The ECI wants to eliminate even those stray incidents of violence in the second phase,” the CEO’s officer insider said.

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With the appointments of these 11 additional police officers, the total number of police observers deployed in the state now rises to 95.

“Initially, the ECI had appointed 84 police observers in West Bengal for this election, which is more than the previous elections. The number has now been increased further for the second phase. Sensitive areas have been identified, and additional vigilance has been ordered. All these new police observers are coming from different states. The state police have been given the responsibility of their security,” the CEO’s office insiders said.

Meanwhile, the ECI had ordered the immediate suspension of five police officers, all from the Diamond Harbour Police District in the South 24 Parganas district, and the initiation of departmental proceedings against them on charges of dereliction of duty.

Out of these five police officers, one is in the rank of additional superintendent of police and one is in the rank of subdivision police officer.

These five officers are additional superintendent of Diamond Harbour District Police, Sandeep Garai (IPS); sub-division police officer, Sajal Mandal; inspector-in-charge of Diamond Harbour Police Station, Mousam Chakraborty; inspector-in-charge of Falta Police Station, Ajay Bagh; and officer-in-charge of Usthi Police Station, Sadhna Bagh.

The Commission also issued a stern warning to the Superintendent of Diamond Harbour Police District, Ishani Pal, for failing to properly monitor the conduct and work of her subordinate police officers.

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