Controversial West Bengal police officer resigns after being removed from SP’s post

Senior police officer Bharati Ghosh, who was serving as SP West Midnapore, resigned from the service on Thursday, within 48 hours of her transfer to a less significant post allegedly after she fell out of favour with the ruling Trinamool Congress.

Ghosh, 55, was one of the most controversial police officers of West Bengal, who often drew flak from political opponents of the TMC for being too close to the ruling dispensation. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee used to refer to her mostly by her pet name.

The IPS officer triggered intense controversy when she termed Banerjee as the mother of Jangalmahal at a public meeting in Midnapore town in 2015.

The Maoist-affected forest-covered areas of three districts of West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia are called Jangalmahal.

She was shunted to the post of a battalion commander of state armed police on December 25 after which she sent her reseignation to director general of police Surajit Kar Purakayastha, police sources said.

She had taken over as West Midnapore superintendent of police in 2012.

The sudden transfer and subsequent resignation of the once blue-eyed cop of the chief minister has triggered political speculation.

A section of Trinamool leaders claimed that her transfer to an insignificant post could be linked to the recent Sabang assembly bypolls, where the vote share of the BJP candidate rose by about 15% to reach 18%. In 2016 it was a meagre 2.6%.
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The election reslults in Sabang in West Midnapore were announced on December 24.

There are other interpretations too. Ghosh was also known to be a confidante of Mukul Roy, the former second-in-command of TMC, who joined the BJP in early November.

Before the 2014 Lok Sabha polls Jhargram CPI(M) MP Pulin Bihari Baskey alleged that Ghosh had a meeting with Roy even after the announcement of election notifications. The Election Commission took action against her following the allegation.

Before the 2016 West Bengal assembly polls, she was temporarily removed from the post of West Midnapore SP by the poll panel.

But after the results, she was reinstated by the chief minister, who also holds the home portfolio.

BJP leaders, however, rejected conjectures that Ghosh paid a price for her proximity with Roy. BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha told HT that the party will never reach an understanding with an IPS officer like Ghosh, whom he accused of playing a key role in harassing his party workers before elections.

“I feel differences between Ghosh and a section of Trinamool’s district leaders led to the transfer. The development also proves that the chief minister pampers an officer only till he or she serves her purpose. After that she does not hesitate to trash him/her,” alleged Sinha.

Attempts by HT to reach Ghosh over phone for her comment failed as she did not take any call.

According to state government sources soon after the transfer order, Ghosh appealed for a 90-day leave that was denied. The resignation came after the application for leave was turned down.

Ghosh, a management graduate from Harvard, used to teach before joining the police service. She was also a part of the United Nations (UN) peace keeping mission in war-torn Kosovo and Bosnia.

Source: hindustantimes.com