ECI seeks reports on late-night police action at Bengal LoP's rented residence

Kolkata, May 24 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought reports about a late-night action by a team of West Bengal Police at the residence of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in West Bengal Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari.

The police action took place last Tuesday at Kolaghat.

Sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal said that after getting the report from the district election officers it will be forwarded to the Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi by Friday evening only.

While on one hand, the ECI has sought a detailed report on the matter, Adhikari has also filed a case at Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta on the same issue.

The late-night police action at the rented residence of Adhikari gained significance after Union Home Minister Amit Shah raised the issue in an election meeting in the state on May 22.

“The fear of defeat has made the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee desperate and has prompted her to resort to rampant misuse of state police. I just heard that the state police conducted late-night raid operations at the rented residence of the leader of the opposition Suvendu Adhikari. When Central agencies raided the residence of a leader of Trinamool Congress a massive amount of Rs 51 crore was recovered. But the police raids at Adhikari’s did not result in recovery of even 25 paise. So I am asking the Chief Minister to refrain from misusing the state police. Else the people of West Bengal will give you a fitting reply,” the Union home minister said while addressing an election rally in Kanthi Lok Sabha constituency in support of the party candidate Soumendu Adhikari on Wednesday afternoon.