Poll panel wants Kolkata police chief replaced

In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission (EC) has directed the West Bengal Government to replace the Kolkata Police Commissioner, Mr Gautam Mohan Chakraborty, as his tenure has crossed three years and sought a three-member panel to select a new incumbent.

“On Monday evening, the Election Commission sent an instruction to the Chief Electoral Officer Mr Sunil Gupta stating that Mr Gautam Mohan Chakraborty's tenure as Police Commissioner has crossed three years and so he has to be replaced,” the Additional CEO, Mr N.K. Sahana, told reporters on Tuesday.

Mr Sahana said the Commission sought a three-member panel to be referred to it as early as possible and that the EC's communication had been forwarded to Chief Secretary, Mr Samar Ghosh, by the CEO himself.

“As soon as the panel is received from the state government, we will send it to the Election Commission,” Mr Sahana said.

This is for the first time that the Election Commission has intervened to select a new police commissioner of a city.