The Election Commission has suspended Sayantan Bhattacharya, the Block Development Officer of the Hanskhali Nadia (Nadia) district in West Bengal, following an assault on a polling official during a training session in Ranaghat.
The Commission has also directed the state Chief Secretary to initiate an immediate departmental inquiry against him. According to the Commission, Bhattacharya failed to follow the prescribed protocols despite being in charge of the training program.
The incident, which occurred on March 27 at the Debnath Institute in Ranaghat, Nadia, reportedly began when polling personnel protested the screening of state government promotional videos featuring Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Digha Jagannath Temple, alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The ensuing violence left a teacher, Saikat Chattopadhyay, seriously injured. An FIR regarding the assault has been lodged at the Ranaghat police station.