The Election Commission of India has instructed the West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police to carry out all pending non-bailable arrest warrants in the state within the next 10 days. Simultaneously, they are to detain all individuals against whom such warrants have been issued within this timeframe. Additionally, the state and city police have been tasked with resolving all election-related criminal cases from previous elections promptly.
Sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, have highlighted that the Commission has emphasized that with the Model Code of Conduct in effect, all state government employees are currently on deputation to the ECI. This grants the Commission the authority to take disciplinary action against any negligence of duty.
In terms of executing the pending non-bailable arrest warrants, the Commission has directed the Sub-Divisional Police Officers (SDPOs) and Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) to promptly compile a list of absconding criminal individuals. They are to conduct special raids and search operations to locate and apprehend these individuals.
Furthermore, the officers-in-charge (OCs) and inspectors-in-charge (ICs) have been mandated to identify areas within their jurisdictions that are highly susceptible to criminal activities. They are also instructed to pinpoint individuals with a history of involvement in election-related violence. The Commission has advised OCs and ICs to ensure the security of political campaign events regardless of political affiliations. It is crucial to safeguard those involved in election-related duties.
The Assembly polls in West Bengal are set to take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The first phase will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase will include the remaining 142 constituencies. The election results are scheduled to be announced on May 4.
