Kolkata Police Commissioner Skips Meet, Election Commission Seeks Answers

The Election Commissioner of India has taken exception to the absence of the Kolkata Police Commissioner from a meeting it had called in the city on Thursday.

The Director General had attended the meet, so had other senior police officers, but instead of Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, special commissioner Jayanta Basu had been deputed to attend.

Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said at a press conference in Kolkata today that when he asked why the police commissioner was missing, he got no clear answer.

"The special commissioner said he didn't know he had just been asked to come," Mr Arora said. 

There is a lack of clarity if Mr Kumar was expected to attend a meeting this morning, along with the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary. 

The Election Commissioner raised the matter with the home secretary and the chief secretary who did come for the meeting.

"The Home Secretary said I take responsibility for his absence," Mr Arora said, adding, "I have asked for an explanation from the controlling officer of the Kolkata Police Commissioner why he was absent." 

Mr Arora went on to state that in West Bengal it appears the system is both the Director General Police and the Commissioner of Police including Kolkata Police Commissioner report directly to the Home Secretary.

The police commissioner was reportedly attending a function with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday. He was reportedly in civil clothes and not in uniform and there is speculation he may have been on leave.

However, the Election Commissioner's dissatisfaction is unlikely to go down well with the state government.