Officers-in-charge of police stations have been instructed to identify and prosecute those responsible for election-related trouble in 2021 and 2024 within their jurisdictions at the earliest.
At a meeting on Wednesday with OCs of police stations across the city, senior IPS officers said the police would map areas and neighbourhoods with a history of poll violence and ensure voters are not subjected to coercion, threats or intimidation.
During the virtual meeting, senior officers at Lalbazar said that prosecution of identified troublemakers must be completed at least seven days before polling in Calcutta (April 29). Anti-crime officers at police stations — who
track repeat offenders — have been told to ensure execution of all non-bailable arrest
warrants.
If an accused remains untraceable despite multiple raids, the police will seek court orders to declare the individual a “proclaimed offender”.
“Officers were told to undertake confidence-building measures across all Assembly constituencies jointly with central forces. Area domination exercises must be completed two days before polling,” a senior officer who attended the meeting said.
Senior officers at Lalbazar said the aim was to define responsibilities of OCs well in advance. The Election Commission had directed the police to step up preparedness ahead of polling in Calcutta.
Discussions focused on identifying neighbourhoods vulnerable to violence based on records of pre- and post-poll incidents. “Officers will visit areas and hamlets under their jurisdictions, interact with voters, assess any intimidation, and take action against those responsible,” the officer said.
Some of the instructions issued to OCs:
- Sector officers (government officials overseeing 10–12 polling stations) will prepare lists of households vulnerable to threats and intimidation within each Assembly constituency, in consultation with OCs.
- Lists of sector officers for each constituency will be shared with all OCs.
- Suspected troublemakers must be demobilised ahead of polling and kept under constant surveillance.
- Officers must visit mixed-population areas and polling stations with a history of violence, and send reports to Lalbazar through divisional deputy commissioners of police.
In line with the EC’s directive to uphold electoral integrity, the state’s chief secretary recently issued guidelines to all departments to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls.
Senior police officers said the instructions from Wednesday’s meeting have been circulated down to the grassroots level.