The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the suspension of five police officers in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district for alleged misconduct during the 2026 Assembly elections. The suspended officials include Additional Superintendent of Police Sandip Garai, SDPO Sajal Mondal, Inspector-in-Charge Mausam Chakraborty, Inspector-in-Charge Ajay Bag, and Officer-in-Charge Subhechha Bag, all stationed in the Diamond Harbour region.
The directive was issued following a report from West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, which highlighted concerns over the involvement of these officers in activities that compromised their impartiality during the polling process. The ECI cited “serious misconduct” and a failure to maintain neutrality as the basis for the suspensions and called for disciplinary proceedings against the named personnel. The poll panel also issued a formal warning to Dr. Ishani Pal, Superintendent of Police in Diamond Harbour, for not maintaining discipline and fairness among her subordinates during the sensitive election period.
The commission has instructed the West Bengal Chief Secretary to implement these orders immediately and to submit a compliance report by 11 a.m. on April 25. Additionally, the state government has been asked to refer the case of Additional Superintendent Garai to his cadre-controlling authority at the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The suspensions come amid a significant voter turnout in the first phase of the West Bengal elections, where participation reached 93.19%. The highest levels of voter engagement were recorded in Coochbehar at 96%, followed by South Dinajpur with 95.44%, according to ECI data. Total registered voters for this phase numbered 36,077,304, with 33,622,168 valid votes cast, including 16,540,065 women and 17,081,849 men.
The Election Commission’s measures underscore its commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring the conduct of law enforcement agencies remains neutral and disciplined during elections.