The inspector in charge of New Town police station had been “closed” till further orders by the Bidhannagar commissionerate, the state counsel informed Calcutta High Court on Tuesday.

In police parlance, closing an officer means he would not be given any duty but would have to report to work till he is cleared of the charges levelled against him.

Justice Tirthankar Ghosh of the high court expressed satisfaction when the state counsel informed him of the step and that departmental proceedings had been initiated against the officer, in accordance with the court’s directive. The judge was hearing a case of alleged police inaction in the face of land grabbing by land mafia in New Town.

About a month ago, a petition had been filed before the single bench alleging that land owned by the petitioner in Rajarhat had been grabbed by some persons and the IC of New Town police station did not take any action against the offenders, even after repeated complaints. The petitioner had claimed that a cycle garage was set up overnight on his plot.
At this, the judge had issued an order asking the state police administration to take appropriate steps in the matter. The judge had also sought a report from the IC concerned.

A week later, the petitioner had moved the court again, complaining that even after court’s directive police did not take any action in the matter. The IC had also failed to submit the report.

Hearing the complaint, Justice Ghosh had come down heavily on the state police administration and directed the police chief to take immediate steps against the IC, failing which the court would act against the IC, the judge had said.

The judge had asked the government counsel to check the IC’s service record from the past postings. He had referred to the case of bodies of two children being found in Baguiati in which too the police had been accused of inaction. Seized vehicles had also been stolen from the Baguiati police station during his tenure there.

Though the police had pleaded that new sections had been added to the land-grab case, the defence lawyer said that the step only bolstered their charge of inaction.

Justice Ghosh had given the police time till January 10, failing which the court would be forced to take action against the officer for not acting against land mafias, he had said.

Expressing his satisfaction with the action taken, the judge said: “New Town is an area where investors are coming. Police should give serious attention to the area and properly trained police personnel should be deployed for the safety and security of the residents as well as the investors.”