ECI Suspends 4 Kolkata Police Officers Over Suvendu Nomination Chaos

The Election Commission of India on Saturday directed the state government to suspend four Kolkata Police officers, including a divisional deputy commissioner, and initiate disciplinary proceedings against them for the chaos that erupted outside a nomination centre for Suvendu Adhikari. The order names Siddhartha Dutta, deputy commissioner-II of the South Division; Priyankar Chakraborty, officer-in-charge of Alipore police station; Chandi Charan Banerjee, additional OC; and Saurabh Chatterjee, sergeant.

The disruption occurred as Adhikari and several BJP candidates filed papers at the Alipore Survey Building in Bhabanipur, with clashes between rival supporters and loud slogans heard on the street. Local TMC workers were accused of shouting anti-BJP slogans and of installing loudspeakers to play campaign songs, prompting security concerns just days before the polls.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accompanied Adhikari on nomination day, underscoring the high political stakes in Bhabanipur, where Adhikari is contesting the seat against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. The incident drew attention from election observers and highlighted the need for orderly conduct around nomination centres.

The EC’s directive calls for disciplinary proceedings and immediate replacements where required, with officials ordered to keep the process transparent and time-bound. The move aims to bolster security and reassure voters that filing of nominations proceeds without violence or intimidation.

While the commission did not assign blame beyond the four suspended officers, critics say such actions send a strong signal that lapses will be addressed. Supporters of both sides argued about the handling of the situation, but most agree that clean, peaceful elections depend on credible policing at nomination events.

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