Election Commission Swiftly Revises Kolkata Police Transfer Orders After Controversial Appointments
The Election Commission of India executed a rapid revision of its transfer orders for police officers in Kolkata on Sunday, amending key appointments within just two hours after initial directives sparked significant administrative confusion. The original order, part of a broader reshuffle involving 142 officers-in-charge (OCs) and inspectors-in-charge (ICs) across the state—with 31 specifically in Kolkata—was issued late at night, but clarifications were promptly disseminated to rectify errors.
Controversial Appointment of Abhijit Mondal Sparks Immediate Backlash
At the center of the controversy was inspector Abhijit Mondal, the former officer-in-charge of Tala police station, who was initially listed to take over Parnashree police station. Mondal, who is currently out on bail after being arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the RG Kar case, was named sixth on the transfer list, causing an uproar within administrative circles and even the commission itself. According to sources within the commission, the Chief Electoral Officer quickly communicated via WhatsApp late at night that Mondal's inclusion was inadvertent, and he would not assume charge. Consequently, Satyaprakash Upadhyay, the current OC of Parnashree police station, was instructed to continue in his role.
Confusion Over Dual Station Assignments and Revised Transfers
Further confusion arose when Nirupam Nath was announced as the OC for both Maniktala and Park Street police stations. The commission later clarified that Nath would only take charge of Maniktala PS, while Hirak Dalapati, the present OC of Park Street—who was transferred by the state government just weeks ago—was asked to remain in his position. Following these adjustments, the final count of transfers in Kolkata was reduced to 29 from the originally proposed 31, as per the police commissioner's orders issued late Sunday night in compliance with the EC directive, which required new appointees to assume office by 5 pm on Tuesday.
Widespread Reshuffling Across Key Kolkata Police Stations
The transfer orders encompassed several pivotal police stations across the city, reflecting a comprehensive administrative overhaul. Key changes included:
- South Kolkata: Kalighat, Bhowanipore, and Alipore police stations saw new OCs appointed.
- Central Kolkata: Hare Street, Bowbazar, and Muchipara police stations underwent leadership changes.
- North Kolkata: Amherst Street police station received a new OC.
Additionally, the OCs of trouble-prone areas such as Bhangar and Polerhat were replaced. Notably, as many as nine new OCs were drafted from the detective department to fill these roles, while former OCs were reassigned to the detective department, Kolkata Police Special Task Force (KP STF), and the traffic wing.
Detailed List of New Officer-in-Charge Appointments
The revised orders specified the following appointments for key police stations in Kolkata:
- Soumitra Basu (STF Inspector) – Bhowanipore police station
- Utpal Kumar Ghosh – Kalighat police station
- Subhadeep Chakraborty – Amherst Street police station
- Priyankar Chakraborty – Alipore police station
- Somnath Biswas – Ekbalpur police station
- Fayaz Ahmed – Haridevpur police station
- Prosenjit Dhar – Rajabagan police station
- Dilip Sarkar – Garden Reach police station
- Manoj Kumar Biswas – Narkeldanga police station
- Tapas Mondal – Entally police station
- Sushanta Mondal (from detective department) – Jorasanko police station
This extensive reshuffle underscores the Election Commission's efforts to streamline police administration ahead of critical electoral processes, albeit with initial missteps that required swift corrective action to maintain integrity and public trust.
