Kolkata college elections violence: Police Commissioner removed

Kolkata: Kolkata Police Commissioner RK Pachnanda was removed from his post on Thursday, after the death of a policeman during clashes between Congress and Trinamool party workers at a college election in the city two days ago. Sources said that Surajit Kar Purakayastha, ADG, Law and Order, is likely to replace him.

Pachnanda will now serve as director of security, in charge of the Chief Minister's security. The Governor of the state, MK Narayanan, had earlier slammed the state government over the violence, saying that the law and order situation in the state was a concern.

He further criticised the TMC minister Firhad Hakim, who is accused of shielding guilty. "If Mr Firhad Hakim is protecting the guilty, he has no business," he said, while speaking to reporters over the incident.

The Governor of the state, MK Narayanan, had earlier said that the law and order situation in the state was a concern.

Meanwhile, Narayanan and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee visited the house of the slain policeman and offered their condolences. The CM assured support to the family and said that law will take its own course. "Law will take its own course and my one line is enough. FIRs were not lodged against some more persons. Why it was not done, I will inquire. It has to be done."

"It's a personal loss to me. I have known him and his family for a long time. The incident happened when I was at a programme at Nandigram. I heard it on the way," Banerjee, who is in charge of the Home (police) department, said after the 15-minute visit. She said the slain SI's wife, Minati, would get all the financial benefits, including increment and promotion due to the officer till his scheduled retirement in 2017.

The chief minister said the family would be given Rs 15 lakh as insurance accident benefit and another Rs five lakh by her government. An additional Rs five lakh would be given from the chief minister's relief fund for the officer's aged mother to meet her medical expenses and for an unmarried sister, Mamata said.

Meanwhile, four other top officials of the Kolkata Police have been transferred, officials said. Banibrata Basu who was ADG (IB) will be the new ADG (Law and Order), while GMP Reddy ADG (Administration) will be the new ADG (IG). Shri Virendra, director of security, will be the new ADG (administration). Soumen Mitra, Additional Commissioner of Police-II, will be the new IG (law and order). On what prompted the reshuffle, Chief Secretary Sanjay Mitra said, "It is because of certain developments that have happened in the state. The changes have been made in the interest of the state and to maintain law and order."

With additional information from PTI

Also See

• Kolkata: Congress, TMC workers clash over college elections, one policeman dead

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