Rampurhat SDO writes against SDPO alleging confinement and

An IAS officer posted as the Rampurhat SDO has written to the West Bengal chief secretary alleging confinement and harassment by the sub-divisional police officer during a visit to a police station in his jurisdiction, a senior government official said Monday.

The state government has initiated a high-level probe into the complaint of the IAS officer, who had joined as Rampurhat sub-divisionl officer in June, he said.

Rampurhat SDO Smrutiranjan Mohanty has written to chief secretary Malay Kumar De and to home secretary Atri Bhattacharya alleging that he was harassed and confined at the Rampurhat police station by Rampurhat SDPO Abhishek Roy and other police officers during his visit there on November 16.

Mohanty, who had gone on leave since the day after the incident took place, has also urged the administration to take immediate action against the accused police personnel and sought police protection.

He said that his office had been receiving several complaints of extortion and corruption in several business activities in the sub-division.

Following it he had made several attempts to contact the inspector in-charge of Rampurhat police station but in vain. This had prompted him to visit the police station during which he was threatened by Roy and other police officers, the SDO said in his letter, a copy of which is with PTI.

Mohanty alleged that Roy had challenged his presence at the police station and that he and the local police locked its doors, confined him and refused to allow him to leave.

Mohanty in his letter claimed that he was allowed to leave after being harassed and made to answer a large number of questions on his powers.

He said that under Section 22(a) of Police Regulation, 1943, Bengal, he was well within his rights to make a thana inspection annually and report the findings to the district magistrate.

Birbhum District Magistrate Moumita Godara in her report has, however, ruled out that Mohanty was confined in the police station.

Godara said she had asked the Birbhum superintendent of police to rush to the police station after getting a call from the IAS officer.

Video footages and other evidences available showed that Mohanty was not confined by any police personnel during his visit to the Rampurhat police station as alleged by him, she told PTI.

Godara said she has already forwarded the letter to the chief secretary.