đź“Ś What Happened?
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended Mahavir Bera, the Inspector‑in‑Charge (IC) of Naihati Police Station (under the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal) for misconduct and alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct during the election process.
đź“Ť Reason for Suspension
- On the final day of nomination filings for Phase‑1 of the West Bengal Assembly polls, a political leader was seen arriving at the Sub‑Divisional Officer (SDO) Office in Barrackpore in an official police vehicle belonging to the Naihati Police Station.
- The person in the police vehicle was Ashok Chatterjee, the Chairman of Naihati Municipality — a known leader associated with the All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) — who was there to support the nomination of the TMC candidate Sanat Dey in the Naihati constituency.
- BJP leader Arjun Singh had posted a video on social media highlighting this incident. In his post, he alleged that a serving police officer had misused an official vehicle to provide logistical help to a political leader during an election process, which is a clear violation of the Election Commission’s neutrality rules and the Model Code of Conduct applicable during elections.
🧑‍⚖️ What Rules Were Violated?
Under the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct (MCC):
- Police and law enforcement must remain strictly neutral during election periods and must not provide any direct assistance — such as transport — to political leaders or candidates.
- Official vehicles or government resources cannot be used by political party members for election‑related activities.
The allegation was that Mahavir Bera allowed a political figure to use the police vehicle to reach the nomination centre, suggesting biased conduct by a law‑enforcement authority during elections.
👇 How the Issue Came to Light
- BJP’s Arjun Singh shared footage on social media showing the situation:
- The police vehicle arrived at the SDO office in Barrackpore, and Ashok Chatterjee was seen getting out of it.
- Singh’s post tagged the ECI and the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, urging them to take action.
📋 ECI’s Immediate Action
In response to the video and the complaint:
✔️ The Election Commission directed the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate to suspend the Naihati Police IC immediately.
✔️ ECI also ordered a departmental inquiry into the matter.
✔️ In the interim, another officer — Prakash Dhara — has been asked to take over the responsibilities of the Naihati police station until further orders.
đź“Š Broader Election Context
This is part of a series of strict actions by the Election Commission in West Bengal to enforce neutrality in law enforcement during elections:
- Recently, multiple Kolkata Police officials were suspended for alleged law‑and‑order failures during another high‑profile nomination event involving BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari.
- The ECI has been actively monitoring police deployment and conduct across the state to ensure impartiality in the ongoing electoral process.
🗓️ Timeline
- 6 April 2026 – Final day for first phase nomination filings in West Bengal. Alleged incident occurred.
- 7 April 2026 – ECI suspends Naihati Police IC based on complaint and video evidence.