EC orders suspension of 4 Kolkata Police officers over Suvendu Adhikari roadshow row

In a strong move ahead of the Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India has ordered the immediate suspension of four Kolkata Police officers over alleged law and order failure during a roadshow and nomination process in Bhabanipur constituency. The directive follows a report submitted by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer highlighting lapses in handling the situation.

The officers named in the order include DC-II South Division Siddhartha Dutta, Officer-in-Charge of Alipore police station Priyankar Chakraborty, Additional OC Chandi Charan Banerjee, and Sergeant Saurabh Chatterjee. The Commission has directed that disciplinary proceedings be initiated against them without delay, indicating a zero-tolerance approach towards lapses during the election period.

The Commission has also instructed the West Bengal government to ensure immediate compliance and submit a report by 11:00 AM on April 5. Additionally, it has sought urgent proposals to fill the vacant posts created by the suspensions, underlining the need to maintain administrative efficiency and law enforcement readiness during the ongoing election process.