The Election Commission on Sunday suspended the officer in charge of Kasba police station after the name of a criminal of the area, Sona Pappu, was found to be missing from the police station’s list of “active criminals”.

Biswajit Poddar, alias Sona Pappu, is wanted in multiple cases by the Kolkata Police and was recently named as an accused in an incident of firing on Kankulia Road. However, he has neither been arrested recently nor has his name featured in the police station’s list of active criminals, said an officer.

“The EC has suspended Biswajit Debnath, the officer-in-charge of Kasba police station. Disciplinary proceedings will be started against him,” said a senior officer of the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar on Sunday.

According to the election protocol, all police stations were directed to prepare a list of “active criminals” in their area, along with a list of “vulnerable voters” from the area and submit it periodically to the EC.

Sources said Sona Pappu’s name was not on that list.

Earlier this month, the Enforcement Directorate conducted a raid at his house in connection with a land-grab case. Trinamool Congress leader Debasish Kumar was also questioned in connection with the case.

Poddar, who once lived on GS Bose Road in Kasba with his parents, gained popularity as Sona Pappu after he started managing his father Hari Narayan Poddar’s gold jewellery shop at Picnic Gardens.

Poddar graduated in crime with controlling syndicates of supplying building materials to run a construction business in pockets of Kasba, Tangra and Tiljala. His “business” later spread across pockets of south Calcutta as he shifted base to Gariahat.

At present, Poddar has 17 criminal cases lodged against him with Kolkata Police alone.

Poddar’s crime graph includes murder, attempted murder, extortion and several other heinous crimes.

He is known to be close to several Trinamool Congress party leaders in the city.

Till Sunday evening, there was no order on who would be posted as the new officer-in-charge of Kasba police station.

The move came a day after the ECI had suspended four senior Kolkata Police officers for their alleged failure to maintain law and order during a roadshow in Bhabanipur on Thursday, when Union home minister Amit Shah accompanied BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari to file his nomination.

Till now, the ECI has transferred 31 IPS officers and 184 officers in the rank of inspectors. Of them, around 173 were posted as officers and inspectors in charge of various police stations.