New Delhi:
The Election Commission on Wednesday transferred Superintendent of Police, Howrah (Rural) Saumya Roy to a non-election related post since his wife has been declared Trinamool Congress’s candidate for Sonarpur Dakshin assembly seat.
The poll panel has now posted Shrihari Pandey, an IPS officer of 2011 batch, as SP, Howrah (Rural).
“It may be noted that the transfer of the officer is based on a general principle that close relatives of active public representatives may not be assigned such duties during elections, which may create any perception of biases/partiality,” the Election Commission told the West Bengal chief secretary in a communication.
The poll panel also asked him to confirm that all senior officials connected with conduct of elections have given the certificate that they are not a close relative of any of the contesting candidates in the current assembly election in West Bengal.
“If there is any such case, it may be reported to the Commission immediately,” it said.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)