Election Commission transfers Kolkata DCP Saumya Roy as his wife is a TMC MLA

The Election Commission of India said in its order that Saumya Roy should be transferred to a post that is not linked to the coming Lok Sabha polls

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday transferred Saumya Roy, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, from the post of deputy commissioner (south west division) of the Kolkata Police, as his wife, Arundhuti Maitra, is a Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislator, said state government officials aware of the ECI order said.

Saumya Roy with his wife Arundhuti Maitra. (File)

“The EC said in its order that Roy should be transferred to a post that is not linked to the coming Lok Sabha polls. It was passed after the officer voluntarily informed the EC that a member of his family is a politician,” a state official said on condition of anonymity.

Roy’s wife, Arundhuti Maitra, also an actor popularly known as Lovely Maitra, was elected to the Sonarpur South assembly seat in South 24 Parganas district in the 2021 state polls. Roy, who was the additional superintendent of police (rural) in Howrah district at that time, was transferred in a similar manner by EC after the Bharatiya Janata Party lodged a complaint.