Three Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) personnel deployed on election duty in West Bengal’s Birbhum district were suspended on Sunday after they were allegedly found playing carrom inside a Trinamool Congress (TMC) office, officials said.
The state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manoj Kumar Agrawal, ordered the suspension after a video surfaced on social media showing the trio playing carrom with local people inside a TMC office in Siuri town on Saturday.
An inquiry was also ordered by the CEO. “All three have been suspended,” Agrawal said.
This comes days after seven CAPF personnel deployed in Murshidabad district were suspended for attending an Iftar party organised by the husband of a panchayat leader at Nimtita. The CEO’s office ordered the disciplinary action, saying government personnel deployed on election duty are not authorised to accept gifts or invitations.
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Reacting to the suspension of three CAPF personnel in Siuri town, TMC state vice-president Jay Prakash Majumdar said the EC should adopt a humane approach.
“Playing carrom is not a heinous crime. These people are on duty but they also have a life. The EC should treat these cases with a humane face,” Majumdar said.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting against Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from Kolkata’s Bhawanipore seat and his Nandigram seat in East Midnapore, supported the CEO’s action.
“The EC took the right decision. Any breach of discipline during elections should be strictly dealt with,” Adhikari said.
Till Sunday, 480 CAPF companies, around half of what the EC plans to deploy, were stationed in various districts for the two-phase polls to be held on April 23 and 29.
