In a fresh move aimed at ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections, the Kolkata Police have initiated a process to identify potential disruptors across the city.
Each police station has been directed to prepare a list of 10 individuals considered most likely to foment trouble during the poll period. According to police sources, instructions have already been issued to all Deputy Commissioners (DCs) to compile and submit these lists from their respective jurisdictions. The DCs, in turn, have conveyed the directive to officers at the police station level, triggering a coordinated exercise to identify such “most notorious trouble mongers,” as termed in police parlance.
The initiative is part of a broader preventive strategy to curb any possible outbreak of violence or disorder. Surveillance on the identified individuals is expected to be intensified, and legal action may be initiated where deemed necessary. Sources indicated that a deadline has been set for the completion of these lists by Monday night. The move comes in the backdrop of directives issued earlier by the Election Commission of India, which had stressed strict action against those involved in poll-related violence. In late March, the Commission had instructed Lalbazar to promptly identify and proceed against individuals accused in incidents of post-poll violence following the 2021 Assembly elections.
A meeting was subsequently held between representatives of the Commission and senior officials of the Kolkata Police, including the Police Commissioner, as well as officers from the state police. During the discussions, emphasis was laid on executing non-bailable arrest warrants and taking firm action against those linked to violence and criminal activities during and after the 2021 Assembly elections. Additionally, the Commission had sought details from the state home department regarding police officers who were in charge of respective police stations during periods of unrest ~ including the post-2021 election phase and the run-up to, during, and after the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
Officials believe that the latest step by Kolkata Police is in line with these directives and is intended to prevent any recurrence of election-related violence.