Kolkata, April 5 (IANS) Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has transferred the Officers-in-Charge (OCs) of several police stations in Kolkata, said an official on Sunday.

It has been learnt that Hirak Dalpati, in charge of Park Street police station, has been transferred to the Intelligence Department. Neelkanth Roy of the Detective Department of Lalbazar has been made the new OC of the police station.

Raj Kumar Mishra, Additional OC of Shyampukur police station, has been brought to Gariahat police station. On the other hand, Manish Singh, Additional OC of Entali police station, has been given the charge of Vijayganj Bazar police station. Manoj Dutta has been recalled from STF and appointed as the new OC of Chetla police station.

The ECI has been transferring bureaucrats and police officers ahead of the two-phase elections in the state. This time, a major reshuffle in the Kolkata Police was ordered by the Commission.

Several officers of the rank of inspector have been transferred by issuing orders numbers 181 and 182. According to this order, the officers-in-charge or OCs of several important police stations in the city have been removed and sent to departments like the Detective Department, STF or Special Branch. Similarly, Chetla Police Station OC Amitabh Sarkar has been sent to STF.

There has also been a reshuffle in the posts of OCs of Hare Street and Thakurpukur police stations. The current OCs of these two police stations, Lopsang Tshering Bhutia and Rajiv Sahu, have been transferred mutually.

It is worth noting that through this new directive, the city police have also brought some partial changes and some amendments to orders number 174 and 175 of March 29.

Incidentally, tension had erupted in Bhabanipur when the roadshow was held before the filing of nomination by BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari, which was attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

After that incident, the Election Commission wrote to the state Chief Secretary and directed him to take action in the Bhabanipur incident. Four police officers were suspended due to the disruption of law and order. At the same time, the Commission had ordered that someone else should be given responsibility in those four places soon. In this atmosphere, the Commission changed the OCs of six police stations of Kolkata Police within 24 hours.

–IANS

sch/dpb