ECI Suspends Five West Bengal Police Officers Over Election Misconduct

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken stern action against five police officers in West Bengal's Diamond Harbour district, suspending them for serious misconduct and failure to maintain neutrality during the ongoing 2026 Assembly elections.

In an official communication to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, the ECI directed the immediate suspension of Sandip Garai, Additional Superintendent of Police, Diamond Harbour; Sajal Mondal, Sub-Divisional Police Officer, Diamond Harbour; Mausam Chakraborty, Inspector-in-Charge of Diamond Harbour Police Station; Ajay Bag, Inspector-in-Charge of Falta Police Station; and Subhechha Bag, Officer-in-Charge of Usthi Police Station. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against all five officers, with the Commission citing "serious misconduct and failure to maintain neutrality" as the grounds for action.

In addition, Diamond Harbour Superintendent of Police Ishani Pal has been issued a formal warning for allegedly failing to enforce discipline and fairness among her subordinates in sensitive election-related matters. The Commission has ordered that the suspensions and disciplinary measures be implemented without delay, with a compliance report to be submitted by 11 AM on Saturday.

The disciplinary action comes against the backdrop of record-breaking voter participation in the Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar announced on Thursday that both West Bengal and Tamil Nadu registered their highest-ever voter turnout since Independence. "Highest ever percentage of polling in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu since Independence - ECI salutes each voter of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu," Kumar said.

Polling concluded at 6 pm on Thursday, with West Bengal recording a remarkable turnout of 91.91 percent in Phase I, according to official data. Several districts reported turnout figures exceeding 90 percent, highlighting the enthusiasm of voters despite tight security arrangements. Dakshin Dinajpur led with 94.85 percent, followed closely by Cooch Behar at 94.54 percent, Birbhum at 93.70 percent, Jalpaiguri at 93.23 percent, and Murshidabad at 92.93 percent. The figures reflect widespread participation across the state, with all major districts comfortably surpassing the 90 percent mark.

Polling for the 234 Assembly constituencies in Tamil Nadu and 152 constituencies in West Bengal began earlier in the day under heavy security deployment. Voting in the remaining 142 constituencies of West Bengal is scheduled for April 29, while counting of votes will take place on May 4.

The Election Commission's decisive action against police officers in Diamond Harbour signals its zero-tolerance approach toward lapses in neutrality and misconduct, reinforcing its role as the guardian of democratic processes in India.