Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar instructed the West Bengal Police to apprehend all individuals responsible for harassing seven judicial adjudication officers in Kaliachak, Malda district promptly. The directive came during a virtual meeting where the CEC expressed dissatisfaction with the delayed police response in rescuing the officers who were held captive for over seven hours by protesters.
At the meeting, the CEC reprimanded West Bengal’s Director General of Police Siddh Nath Gupta and the Malda district police superintendent Anupam Singh for the delayed action. The incident occurred as the officers were targeted due to the deletion of their names from the voters’ list during ongoing judicial adjudication proceedings.
During the discussion, the CEC also criticized the police for their handling of protests outside the State CEO’s office and near Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence. The meeting, attended by officials including the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, aimed to address the security lapses and ensure swift action in such situations.
The CEC further questioned the absence of the Malda district police superintendent at the scene and the failure of the judicial officers to contact the District Magistrate during the ordeal. The incident has raised concerns about law enforcement’s effectiveness and the safety of officials involved in electoral processes.
