In a significant development ahead of the ongoing Assembly election process, three members of the Flying Squad deployed in the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency have been suspended on charges of dereliction of duty.
The District Election Officer (DEO) of South Kolkata has ordered the immediate suspension of the officials and directed the initiation of departmental inquiries against them. The action follows allegations that the trio failed to perform their assigned responsibilities during a night shift on April 17.
According to official sources, the lapse came to light during a surprise inspection conducted by Central Expenditure Observer D. Ranjit Kumar. During the visit between 10:30 pm and 11:00 pm, the officials were reportedly found sitting outside the Bhabanipur Police Station instead of carrying out their designated duties. When questioned, they were unable to produce any records or documentation related to their work.
The officials named in the incident include Satyarajan Pal, a Lower Division Clerk (LDC) with the Sports Authority of India, Souvik Nandi, a teacher at Durgabala Datta Girls' School, and Suranjan Das, an Upper Division Clerk (UDC) in the Stationery Department. All three have been charged with dereliction of duty and non-compliance with established protocols.
The DEO has instructed the respective departments of the accused officials to enforce the suspension orders without delay and submit a detailed report on the matter by 2:00 pm on April 21.
Sources within the Election Commission indicated that the stringent action underscores the body’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair, and transparent electoral process, with zero tolerance for negligence.
Reinforcing this stance, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated on Monday that the Commission is determined to conduct elections in West Bengal without fear, violence, or undue influence. “This election will be free from intimidation, coercion, inducements, and practices like booth jamming. No employee of the State Government, local bodies, or autonomous organisations will be allowed to influence the electoral process,” he said while addressing officials involved in election management.
Meanwhile, the political atmosphere remains tense, with the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) accusing the Election Commission of bias in favor of the BJP. The Commission has strongly denied these allegations.
A fresh point of contention has emerged over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. The TMC has alleged that the exercise is being used to disenfranchise voters to benefit the BJP. Both the Election Commission and the BJP have rejected these claims, calling them baseless.
As the state moves closer to polling, the Election Commission’s latest action signals a firm approach toward maintaining discipline and accountability among officials entrusted with election duties.
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