Kolkata, Oct 26 (IANS) The officer-in-charge of Chetla Police Station has been removed after a man was brutally murdered with a digging bar near the residence of Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim in south Kolkata, a senior state government official said on Sunday. Amitabh Sarkhel, who was earlier the Additional OC of Alipore Police Station, has been appointed as the new OC of Chetla Police Station.

It is worth mentioning that Sukhendu Mukherjee was serving as the OC of Chetla Police Station earlier. However, though he held the post of OC, he had already been promoted as an Assistant Commissioner and continued to discharge dual responsibilities. Following the sensational incident on Saturday night, the state administration immediately replaced him and brought in a new OC for the police station.

The gruesome incident took place around 11.30 p.m. on a public road near the Chetla 17A/17B bus stand, just a stone’s throw from the Mayor’s residence. According to preliminary police investigation, the victim — identified as Ashok Paswan (42) — was assaulted and a digging bar was forcibly inserted into his throat, leading to his death on the spot. The murder in a posh neighbourhood and so close to the residence of the city’s Mayor has raised serious questions over public safety and night policing in the area.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Manoj Kumar Verma said, “Police picketing is going on in the area. We have already detained several people suspected of being involved in this incident. Two have also been arrested. We are searching for the rest. It is not that there are no police in the area. We are checking multiple inputs and are investigating the entire matter.”

Meanwhile, former ADG Nazrul Islam came down heavily on the state police, accusing it of ignoring blatant anti-social activities in the locality. “There is no point in just changing the OC of the police station. The morale of the people towards the police has been broken. Liquor parties are being held in this area day after day. This cannot take place on public roads. If the police really do not know about this, then it is the police’s failure,” he said.

The incident has triggered massive outrage among local residents, who alleged that late-night liquor consumption and related nuisance on public roads had become a regular affair in the neighbourhood. They blamed the police for turning a blind eye despite repeated complaints.

Two persons have been arrested so far, while further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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