In New Delhi, CRPF Director General V K Joshi asked the Union Home Ministry to get the West Bengal government investigate the veracity of the molestation case filed against its DIG.

Backing the DIG, Joshi called up Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta this morning and requested him to get the state government to examine the FIR expeditiously. It is learnt that Gupta immediately called up West Bengal Chief Secretary A K Deb and asked him for a report on both the case and the DIG’s spat with the MP.

In Kolkata, CRPF Addl DG N R Das said that Alok Raj had returned to Ranchi where he will be part of the Special Task Force constituted to tackle Maoists.

Meanwhile, Lakshman Seth, the CPM MP, has written a letter to the CRPF DG — he has marked copies to the Lok Sabha Speaker and West Bengal police chief A B Vohra — alleging that the DIG misbehaved with him. “I have said that suitable action should be taken against Alok Raj,” Seth told The Indian Express.

Chief Secretary Deb said IG (western range) Rakesh Gupta had been asked to conduct an inquiry whether the CRPF exceeded its statutory limits.

There’s also a row over the role of Nandigram Officer-in-Charge Debashish Chakraborty. On Sunday, Chakraborty alleged he was beaten up by CRPF jawans at Gokulnagar when he objected to checking of photo identity cards at polling booths. He has been accused of taking sides with the ruling party.

Chakraborty was present in Nandigram throughout Sunday though Chief Secretary Deb had said on May 7 that the OC would be kept out election duty in the wake of complaints against him from different quarters. Asked about the presence of the OC despite his earlier announcement, Deb today said: “I will not speak on the matter now. I am busy in a meeting.”

... contd.