Chief’s dismissal lowers morale of Kolkata police

The much-vaunted “poriborton” appears to have passed the Kolkata police by. Keeping one’s post still means towing the party line – even though the party in question has changed. HT reports.

The much-vaunted “poriborton” appears to have passed the Kolkata police by. Keeping one’s post still means towing the party line – even though the party in question has changed.

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That was the buzz among the policemen a day after the removal of its chief RK Pachnanda.

And everyone , from IPS officers to constables at the grassroot level, concurred. The morale of forces appears to have sunk into its shoes.

Pachnanda was axed on Thursday following the death of a policeman during a campus violence this week. He had arrested accused in the case, who was reportedly close to the local MLA.

“The removal of the commissioner will certainly give a wrong message to the force, especially when he was acting against the criminals and politicians responsible for Tuesday’s shooting,” said Sandhi Mukherjee, an ex-DIG.

“There had been several such instances earlier. IPS officers are treated as political servants,” said a senior IPS officer.

”We believe there was no other reason for the decision than a political one.”

In November, police superintendent of Birbhum Rishikesh Meena was removed after police fired on villagers in Loba village.

TMC takes on Governor
Kolkata: Trinamool Congress leaders took on Governor MK Narayanan a day after he questioned West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s decision to remove the Kolkata police chief.

“The Governor should act as a Governor of Bengal and not play the role of an IPS officer.

The state government has all the right to transfer officers,” said senior Trinamool leader Sultan Ahmed on Friday.

The controversy marks a new low in the relation between governor and the government. HTC