Kolkata, April 5 The Election Commission has suspended the officer-in-charge (OC) of the Kasba police station in Kolkata for allegedly failing to include the name of a known criminal in the list of offenders ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, an EC official said on Sunday evening.
The suspension of OC Biswajit Debnath followed a showcause notice served on him, asking why the name of Sona Pappu, also known as Biswajit Poddar, a known criminal in the area, was not included in the list of criminals under the jurisdiction of Kasba, despite multiple cases pending against him.
Sona Pappu's name had recently come up again in connection with the throwing of bombs by a gang during a clash between two groups in the Gol Park area, and he remains at large.
The Enforcement Directorate recently conducted searches at Sona Pappu's residence and reportedly recovered a large sum of cash, along with a luxury vehicle and property documents.
The EC official said that multiple FIRs, including those related to extortion and intimidation, have been registered against him.
The EC had earlier directed the West Bengal and Kolkata Police to prepare comprehensive lists of absconders and proclaimed offenders in view of the upcoming elections. While the Kasba police jurisdiction lies within the city, the West Bengal police jurisdiction covers the rest of the state.
The EC had specifically tasked officers-in-charge (OCs) with identifying such individuals with criminal records and ensuring strict action against them to ensure a peaceful election.