EC removes Kolkata police chief, 3 others

The Election Commission has removed four IPS officers, including police commissioners of Kolkata and Bidannagar, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha said this would gain confidence of the voters. Sinha said, "The police establishment in West Bengal has become a B-team of the Trinamool Congress government. I welcome the move of the ECI." A candidate for the North Kolkata constituency, Sinha claimed free and fair elections were impossible under these IPS officers. The EC removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma and replaced him with Rajesh Kumar. It also removed Bidhan Nagar police chief Gyanwnat Singh and transferred the Birbhum SP and Diamond Harbaour SP. Sinha said, "Free and fair elections could not have happened if these IPS officers were there. I believe the ECI will make some other changes keeping in mind the polls."