West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday directed police stations across the state to investigate all cases of post-2021 assembly election violence, saying first information reports (FIRs) must be lodged in every incident of murder and assault that was not previously investigated.
“Let the families of those who died or were injured in political violence over the last five years file complaints with evidence. If they don’t have evidence, then the police will investigate and lodge FIRs,” Adhikari said after chairing an administrative review meeting at Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, the Lok Sabha constituency represented by Trinamool Congress (TMC) national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.
The meeting was held amid dozens of arrests across Bengal on the basis of complaints of extortion, violence and land grabbing lodged against TMC leaders. The drive started days after Adhikari took the oath as chief minister on May 9.
“The 2021 election in Bengal marks a black chapter. Our workers were hounded and murdered. As many as 12,500 FIRs have been lodged. If the accused are found guilty, we will put them in jail,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}“The 2021 election in Bengal marks a black chapter. Our workers were hounded and murdered. As many as 12,500 FIRs have been lodged. If the accused are found guilty, we will put them in jail,” he added.
{{/usCountry}}The meeting was attended physically by officers from South 24 Parganas, while police officers from other districts joined virtually. Adhikari said the virtual format was chosen to save fuel.
“All these years, the ruler had set the law. Now, the law will rule. The state’s police have been directed to enforce law following the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and lodge FIRs for every incident of murder and assault that were not investigated,” he said.
The chief minister also alleged that police officers functioned under political pressure during the previous government.
“There was an atmosphere of terror. An MP’s personal assistant used to give instructions to officers-in-charge of police stations, and the superintendent of police would learn of it later. This will stop,” he said without naming anyone.
After the administrative meeting, Adhikari refused to take any questions on politics and took a potshot at former chief minister Mamata Banerjee without naming her.
“I am here as the chief minister. There will be no more political speeches at administrative meetings or calling officers by their names,” he said.
Hours later, at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally for the May 21 Falta assembly repoll, Adhikari sharpened his attack on Abhishek Banerjee, referring to him as “bhaipo babu” (mister nephew). He claimed he had obtained records of properties linked to Leaps and Bounds, a company associated with Banerjee and previously searched by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with ongoing investigations.
“I have received bhaipo babu’s property details from the KMC. Your Leaps and Bounds has 24 properties in Kolkata. There is also a palace-like office in Amtala. Don’t we know what you have done using the police?” Adhikari said.
The Falta repoll was ordered after allegations that supporters of TMC candidate Jahangir Sheikh prevented voters from casting ballots.
Addressing the rally, Adhikari urged voters to ensure a massive victory for BJP candidate Debangshu Panda.
“This repoll is not just a democratic exercise. India is the world’s largest democracy and there is a place called Falta where people couldn’t vote in 10 years. There are 2,25,000 voters in Falta. Of them, 165,000 belong to the category that ensured our victory in the Bengal elections. I am this state’s first BJP chief minister. I appeal to you to ensure that our candidate Debangshu Panda wins by a margin of 1,00,000 votes,” he said.
Referring to the BJP’s victory in the Bengal assembly election, where the party won 207 of 294 seats, Adhikari described it as “the second day of freedom for nationalist Bengalis”.
The chief minister also said police had been instructed to collect phone call records and WhatsApp chats in connection with allegations of political interference in policing. “Bhaipo’s personal assistant used to give directions to the police. I will find out everything,” he said.
At the meeting, Adhikari also announced the dissolution of the Police Welfare Board, alleging it had turned into “a political party’s frontal organisation” and was used to grant “illegal extension” of service to certain individuals.
“The Police Welfare Board was constituted with a good intention, but eventually it became a party’s frontal organisation,” he said, adding that a new welfare mechanism would be formed within three months after consultations with retired police officers and associations.
Adhikari said people alleging custodial torture, illegal detention, harassment of women and extortion over the last five years could now file fresh complaints at police stations. He added that digital payment records, including RTGS, NEFT and PayTM transactions, would be accepted as evidence in extortion-related cases.
He also announced that women police personnel would, as far as possible, be posted in or near their home districts as a welfare measure.
On law and order, Adhikari said attacks on police personnel would not be tolerated and confirmed that 15 people had been arrested in connection with Friday night’s violence in Asansol, where a mob allegedly attacked a police outpost after police asked mosque authorities to lower loudspeaker volume following a complaint.
The TMC did not respond directly to Adhikari’s remarks against Abhishek Banerjee, but said its fact-finding teams had visited homes of party supporters allegedly attacked after the May 4 election results.
The party alleged in a post on X that more than 3000 of its workers had been driven out of their homes and around 10 were murdered. “Where is the justice? These are sons and daughters of Bengal — ordinary people whose only ‘crime’ was standing with the Trinamool Congress. How long will the police administration remain silent spectators? How long will the system continue to look away while political violence destroys lives and families?” it said.