Kolkata top cop ‘overstayed’,gets EC marching order

According to sources in the state home department,the EC in its letter has questioned the tenure of Chakrabarti,who joined the current post in October 2007.

Chakrabarti had replaced Prasun Mukherjee,who was shown the door because of the controversy over the unnatural death of Rizwanur Rehman.

According to EC rules,all EC orders transfer of Kolkata police chief police personnel,including IPS officers,have to be transferred after they complete three years in a post.

The ruling party,however,had not yet transferred Chakrabarti,who completed three years as CP in October last year. All such transfers have to be done before the election process begins.

State Home Secretary G D Gautama said: “The Election Commission questioned the tenure of Chakraborti as he has been in his post for more than three years. The EC directed the state government to transfer him.”

Interestingly,Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Sunil Gupta had received a report from the police directorate sometime back in which it was mentioned that all IPS and non-IPS officers,who completed a tenure of three years,had been duly transferred from their respective departments,district and police stations.

Sources said the state government is contemplating three names — Raj Kanojia,ADG,CID,R K Pachnanda,Additional CP (I) and Banibrata Basu,ADG,IB — as Chakrabarti’s replacement.

However,the names are yet to be formally announced.