Bengal polls: FIR filed after bikers raise threatening slogans, intimidate voters in Diamond Harbour

Kolkata, April 26 (IANS) Police have filed an FIR on the instructions of the Election Commission of India (ECI) related to an incident of threatening voters in Diamond Harbour in West Bengal’s 24 Parganas district, said officials on Sunday.

The Commission received a complaint that voters were being intimidated in the Kakdwip area of Diamond Harbour. A complaint was filed against a bike procession from which threatening slogans were raised against voters.

The ECI has ordered the election officer and the police there to take necessary action. They were asked to take the action by Sunday evening.

Within a few hours of the complaint being filed, the police filed an FIR against the miscreants at the Diamond Harbour Police Station.

According to officials, an FIR has been filed on multiple charges, including intimidation, threats, attempts to breach the peace and obstruction of government work.

In the complaint, it has been alleged that miscreants on some bikes threatened voters in Diamond Harbour openly, allegedly telling them that after May 4, “action” will be taken against them.

The Election Commission has already taken several steps so that voters can vote without fear.

The first phase of voting on April 23 was, by and large, peaceful. The Commission is trying to ensure that there is no unrest in the second phase of voting and that the election is peaceful. The counting of votes will be held on May 4.

On Friday, the Election Commission suspended five police officers, including the Additional Superintendent of Police and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Diamond Harbour. The Commission informed the state Chief Secretary that action would be taken against the five police officers who were suspended for “serious violations of the code of conduct and failure to maintain impartiality”.

Diamond Harbour is the Lok Sabha constituency of Trinamool Congress General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee. The constituency has seven Assembly segments.

–IANS

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