The Election Commission on Sunday removed Bengal director of security, Vivek Sahay, and East Midnapore district magistrate and police superintendent after reports submitted to the poll panel had said there had been a breach in chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s security in Nandigram on March 10 when she had suffered injury to the left leg.

The EC also placed under suspension Sahay and SP Pravin Prakash.

The move by the commission is considered unprecedented as the poll panel has so far taken action against officials involved in election-related duties.

“The director of security is responsible for providing security to VVIPs in the state and he is no way involved in poll-related affairs. The removal of the DM and the SP for their failure to provide security to the VVIP is also unprecedented. There is little doubt that the steps are taken to put bureaucracy in the state under unnecessary pressure,” said a senior government official.

While the EC asked the chief secretary to appoint the new director of security in consultation with the DGP, the poll panel has appointed Smita Pandey, a 2005-batch IAS officer as the DM of East Midnapore after removing Vibhu Goel.

The EC also appointed Sunil Kumar Yadav, a 2009-batch IPS officer, as the SP after suspending Pravin Prakash.

Mamata being lifted onto the dais. Pictures by Pradip Sanyal

The decisions were taken after the full bench of the EC met on Sunday morning to discuss the reports of the chief secretary, special observers deployed in the state and also reports submitted by the DM and SP of East Midnapore on the accident that injured Mamata necessitating her admission to the SSKM Hospital in Calcutta.

“The EC found there was a large gathering in close proximity of the chief minister, which is a breach of security in case of a Z-plus security protectee. So, primarily, the director of security, who is responsible for VVIPs’ protection, and the district authorities who are in charge of security arrangements on the route the chief minister was scheduled to take, are held accountable for the breach,” said a source in the EC.

Placing Sahay under suspension has raised several eyebrows in the state administrative circles as the ADG rank officer is highly regarded in Bengal’s police establishment.

According to sources, all the reports submitted to the EC pointed out that the chief minister had been injured after the door of the car she had been travelling in had slammed her left leg.

“But none of the reports could conclude how the door had gone back to hit the chief minister. All the reports mentioned there was a large crowd in close proximity of the chief minister,” said an official.

Taking a further step, the poll panel has asked the chief secretary and the DGP to identify other “proximate security personnel” below the director of security, who failed to prevent the incident, and initiate suitable against them for their failure by March 17.

This is considered to be a sensitive step as the security personnel work in the close proximity of the chief minister and have been working with her for years.

“Identifying them guilty for the incident would be very sensitive,” said a source.

The chief secretary has been asked to ensure investigation into the case filed at Nandigram police station gets completed within next 15 days and a report should be filed to the poll panel by March 31.

“This action gives a hint the EC wants a detailed probe to find out whether it was a conspiracy or just an accident. This made it clear the issue remained inconclusive so far,” said an official.

Sources at Nabanna said the actions initiated by the poll panel clearly suggested that the EC was focussing on the breach of security of the chief minister right at the moment.

The press note issued by the EC does not reveal the contents of the reports it received as a source said it could be construed as prejudicing the police inquiry. However, the suspension of the SP and removal of the DM, the source claimed, was an indication of the EC’s dissatisfaction over not only their supervision of the rally but also alleged lacunae in the district administration’s reportage of the incident.

“Trinamul was claiming removal of the DGP and the ADG (law and order) by the EC had triggered the incident. But the EC made it clear the lapses were on part of the security directorate of the state and the district authorities, who were not appointed by the EC. But it remained unclear whether it was a conspiracy,” said a source.

Sources also said all the reports submitted to the EC were inconclusive to point out whether the incident was a conspiracy or it was just an accident.

All the reports submitted pointed out the inconclusive video footage also.

But now question are raised on whether a new DM and a new SP would be able to complete the investigation within 15 days, as directed by the EC, as they have to start the investigation afresh.