West Bengal CM Suspends Five Police Personnel over Alleged Misconduct During Previous Regime

PTI, July 25, 2026, Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday announced the suspension of an IPS officer and four other police personnel over their alleged roles in a series of controversial incidents that took place under the previous TMC government, signalling what he described as a policy of "zero tolerance" towards police excesses and administrative abuse.

Making the announcement on the floor of the West Bengal Assembly, Adhikari said his government would revisit instances of alleged misuse of police powers under the previous regime and ensure accountability irrespective of rank.

The suspended officers are linked to four separate incidents — the police shooting of Rajbanshi youth Mrityunjay Barman at Kaliaganj in Uttar Dinajpur district, the alleged harassment of former IPS officer Pankaj Dutta, a police lathi-charge during the Jagaddhatri idol immersion procession in Krishnanagar, and the controversial transportation of a Kali idol in a prison van at Kakdwip in South 24 Parganas.

"The previous regime repeatedly misused the police machinery against ordinary citizens. We will not allow such abuse of power. Those responsible will be held accountable," the Chief Minister said.

The most significant action relates to the 2023 Kaliaganj violence, which had triggered widespread protests across north Bengal.

Referring to the incident, Adhikari alleged that after the murder of a Class 9 Rajbanshi schoolgirl, police had handled her body in an "insensitive" manner while attempting to disperse demonstrators who were demanding the arrest of the son of a local TMC deputy pradhan.

He alleged that later, while attempting to arrest one of the protesters, police opened fire on Rajbanshi youth Mrityunjay Barman, killing him.

The Chief Minister announced the immediate suspension of Assistant Sub-Inspector Moyazzem Hossain, who allegedly fired the fatal shot, and ordered registration of a fresh FIR against him.

Adhikari also sought to underline what he described as his long association with the victim's family.

Claiming that the previous government had not provided any compensation, he said that while serving as the Leader of the Opposition, he had arranged employment for Barman's widow under his Assembly quota, and that the appointment was later regularised.

In another decision, the Chief Minister suspended former Burtolla Police Station investigating officer Sadhan Das and former officer-in-charge Subarna Dutt Chowdhury, now posted in the Special Branch of Kolkata Police.

He alleged that the two officers had acted on "political instructions" by repeatedly summoning former IPS officer Pankaj Dutta to the police station and making him wait for nearly 12 hours at a stretch before he was scheduled to leave for Varanasi for a political programme.

According to Adhikari, Dutta was allegedly denied even drinking water during those prolonged periods of detention.

The government also ordered disciplinary proceedings against Inspector Amalendu Biswas over the alleged use of force during the Jagaddhatri immersion procession in Krishnanagar.

The Chief Minister alleged that devotees and organisers were lathi-charged and that objectionable remarks were made against followers of the Sanatan faith.

Perhaps the most politically sensitive decision involved IPS officer Koteswar Rao, who was suspended over the Kakdwip incident in which a Kali idol was allegedly loaded onto a prison van during protests following reported vandalism of the idol.

Adhikari described the episode as an "assault on the faith of millions of Sanatan followers" and said such conduct by police officers was unacceptable.

"The manner in which Goddess Kali's idol was placed inside a prison van deeply hurt religious sentiments. Such actions cannot be justified under any circumstances," he said.

The announcements come as the BJP government seeks to distinguish its administrative approach from that of the previous TMC dispensation after assuming office following the recent Assembly elections.

Senior BJP leaders have repeatedly accused the Mamata Banerjee government of using the police to suppress political dissent, particularly during protests over law and order issues and communal incidents.

The TMC, while in power, had consistently rejected those allegations, maintaining that police acted strictly according to law.

Saturday's decisions are expected to have political as well as administrative ramifications, as they reopen some of the most contentious law and order controversies of the previous regime.

The government indicated that more such cases could be reviewed if evidence of police excesses or abuse of authority emerged, with Adhikari asserting that his administration was committed to restoring public confidence in the police through accountability and institutional transparency.