In a major reshuffle loaded with an apparent message to the Bengal Police administration, the Trinamool Congress Government on Monday shifted to lesser posts four Police Commissioners who had earned accolades from the Election Commission of India for their fair handling of the Assembly polls.
Simultaneously, certain other IPS officers overlooked by the EC for election duty and preferred otherwise by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, got prized postings.
Curiously, the shunted officers were replaced by those who got the EC’s rap for their alleged lack of fairness during the elections, said a senior officer requesting anonymity.
In another post poll-related development on Monday, the left and the Congress decided to start a joint campaign against the ongoing attacks on the Opposition workers. PCC president Adhir Chowdhury said the Government will be given a week’s time to help the “political refugees” go back to their homes “or else we will start a continuous movement.”
The PCC president’s statement came within hours of the State Opposition leader Abdul Mannan meeting Sonia Gandhi and getting a clearance to launch joint movement in Bengal against Trinamool Congress.
Meanwhile, the axe fell on Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Javed Shamim who was replaced by Gyanwant Singh a former DCP in Kolkata Police who was embroiled in the much-hyped Rizwanur Rahman suicide case in 2007.
Barrackpore Police Commissioner Niraj Kumar Singh was also transferred and replaced by Tanmoy Roy Chowdhury a former North 24 Parganas SP who was earlier transferred from his post by the EC following complaints from the Opposition parties.
Asansol Commissioner of Police SN Gupta was also handed out the same treatment and was replaced by lN Meena. The Government also replaced Siliguri Police Commissioner Manoj Verma with CS lepcha.
While some senior officers got the boot, others regarded as ‘loyalists’ got better postings. Among the fortunate officers was Bharati Ghosh a former SP responsible for handling left-Wing extremism in Jangalmahal before she was transferred out by the EC to CID. Ghosh was on Monday reinstated as SP, Midnapore with additional charge of Jhargram district.
Ghosh enjoys a good rapport with Didi whom she calls ‘Ma’. This apart, Inspector General of Police Southern Range was given the additional charge of Western Range whereas DIG Presidency Range was given the lesser responsible post of overseeing North 24 Parganas. Barrackpore CP was also given the additional charge of overseeing Hooghly district. Monday’s reshuffle comes little more than a week after 30 IAS and IPS officers, including then Kolkata Police Commissioner Somen Mitra was transferred out to less important posts.
Mitra who handled elections in Kolkata so “exceptionally well” that it allegedly cost Trinamool two seats, was transferred out as ADG Training. He was replaced by former Kolkata CP Rajeev Kumar, the officer who was earlier probed in the multi-crore Saradha scam and other chit fund cases as the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner.
Meanwhile, in an unrelated development the left and the Congress on Monday decided to start a joint campaign against the ongoing attacks on the Opposition workers.
According to sources about 10,000 Opposition supporters have fled their houses in North and South 24 Parganas, Hooghly, Howrah and West Midnapore districts. This apart, crores of rupees were being extracted from the Opposition workers as “fines” for going against the Trinamool Congress.
“Thousands of houses have been ransacked and burnt. This cannot be allowed to continue for long,” he said. The left and Congress leaders were planning to gherao the DM and SP offices if no action was taken in a week’s time.