Sovan Chatterjee seeks police protection, says TMC govt withdrew security out of vindictiveness

Former Kolkata Mayor Sovan Chatterjee, who recently joined the BJP, wrote to Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma on Sunday requesting him to deploy security personnel to "avert any untoward attempt" on his life.

Chatterjee alleged that the police had withdrawn his security on Saturday without any prior information even as he blamed the TMC government of acting out of "vindictiveness".

In an email to the Police Commissioner, he said: "... at the wee hour of 11:15 PM on 17th August, suddenly all my security personnel were withdrawn by your office without any intimation. It is pertinent to mention here that I apprehend such withdrawal of security personnel maybe because of the vindictiveness of the State Government against me as I've joined Bhartiya Janta Party on 14th of August 2019. However in the eyes of administration, all are equal."

Chatterjee, an MLA from Behala Purba Assembly constituency has held crucial ministries in the Mamata Banerjee government before resigning from the Trinamool Congress in November 2018.

"I resigned from the office of Mayor and Minister on 22nd November 2018. Still my security arrangement was not reduced as the State Government and the Police Department is fully aware that apart from the anti social elements, presently my life and honour is at stake due to the activities and conspiracies of my wife Smt Ratna Chatterjee (against whom I've filed a divorce case and her associates.)," he stated further.

The BJP leader also claimed that he has been attacked recently.

"I hope the recent attack on me in Raichak should be an eye-opener to the administration...," he stated.

Chatterjee said that he was given security since 1995 since his life had been at risk on several occasions. "At one point of time, since I was a cabinet minister of West Bengal Government and the Mayor of Kolkata and have taken many decisions which has irked the interest of many, my life risk intensified and I was given Z category security. However later, due to some unknown reasons, the security level was reduced to Y plus," he stated.