HC probe team recommends suspension, FIRS against Bengal bureaucrats for malpractice

An inquiry committee headed by a retired High Court Judge has recommended the suspension and filing of an FIR against three bureaucrats for tampering with ballot papers during the recently held Panchayat elections in West Bengal. This is the first time that bureaucrats have been named for allegedly aiding election malpractices in the recently-held panchayat elections in the state.
The Debi Prasad Dey Commission of Inquiry was set up under the orders of Justice Amrita Sinha of Calcutta High Court to probe the circumstances under which the accused SDO and BDO and another bureaucrat allegedly tampered with ballot papers. The step was taken based on the complaint by the CPIM’s Uluberia candidate Kashmera Begum Khan. This comes after the Court pulled up the State Election Commission for its “casual attitude” while dealing with a complaint lodged by the CPI(M) candidate against the TMC candidate.
The Calcutta High Court had also ordered a probe into how a Trinamool Congress candidate was able to file his nomination for Bengal panchayat polls despite being in Saudi Arabia for the Haj pilgrimage. The Calcutta High Court ordered West Bengal CID’s Deputy Inspector-General to probe into the allegations against a Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate who filed his nomination for the Bengal panchayat polls from Saudi Arabia. The CPI(M) and Indian Secular Front had moved the Calcutta High Court over Gazi’s nomination. As per the petition filed weeks before the Bengal panchayat polls, the accused candidate had been in Saudi Arabia since 4 June, according to a communique submitted to the Haj Committee. Abdul Gazi was supposed to be in Saudi Arabia till 16 July. However, his nomination was submitted and accepted by the local Block Development Officer, it added.
The petitioners further alleged that it was “collusion” in nexus with the State Election Commission (SEC), the ruling party, and Government officials like the BDO and the panchayat poll returning officers through which Gazi, who was in Mecca for Haj, could file his nomination for the Minakhan panchayat elections.