Bengal CM suspends 5 police officers tied to Trinamool-era partisan conduct
Synopsis
West Bengal's new CM Suvendu Adhikari has suspended five police officers — including IPS officer Koteshwar Rao, a reported Abhishek Banerjee confidant — for alleged partisan conduct during the TMC's 2021–2026 tenure. Combined with earlier suspensions over the RG Kar case, Adhikari is building a clear pattern: systematic accountability for law enforcement seen as politically aligned with the previous regime.
Key Takeaways
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari suspended five police officers on 25 July , announcing the action from the West Bengal Assembly .
The suspended IPS officer, Koteshwar Rao , was former SP of Diamond Harbour and a reported associate of TMC's Abhishek Banerjee .
The other four are sub-inspector and inspector-level officers from North Dinajpur , Kolkata , and Nadia districts.
Adhikari had earlier suspended three IPS officers — including former Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal — over the RG Kar rape-murder case; their suspension was extended by 120 days this month.
The CM declared a 'Zero Tolerance Policy' against corruption and political misuse of the police force.
West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday, 25 July announced the suspension of five police officers — including one Indian Police Service (IPS) officer — accused of partisan conduct and controversy during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. The announcement was made from the floor of the West Bengal Assembly on the concluding day of the six-day extended budget session.
The Five Suspended Officers
The IPS officer named in the suspension order is Koteshwar Rao, former Superintendent of the Diamond Harbour Police District in South 24 Parganas. Rao was widely regarded as a close associate of Abhishek Banerjee, TMC General Secretary and Lok Sabha member from the Diamond Harbour constituency.
The four other officers suspended are: Moazzem Hossain, former Inspector-in-Charge of Kaliaganj Police Station in North Dinajpur; Subarna Dutta Chowdhury, former Officer-in-Charge of Bartala Police Station under Kolkata Police; Sadhan Pandey, former Sub-Inspector of Bartala Police Station; and Amalendu Biswas, former Inspector-in-Charge of Krishnanagar Police Station in Nadia district.
What the Chief Minister Said
'During the previous government's tenure between 2021 and 2026, police were misused at various places. The sentiments of those who follow Sanatan Dharma were hurt,' Adhikari said while addressing the Assembly. In a separate social media statement, he declared: 'The state government is determined to strictly implement the Zero Tolerance Policy everywhere.'
Context: Earlier Suspensions Linked to RG Kar Case
This is not the first such action by the Adhikari administration. Shortly after taking charge in May 2026 following the West Bengal Assembly polls, the Chief Minister suspended three IPS officers in connection with the rape and murder of a woman doctor at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata in August 2024.
Those three officers were Vineet Kumar Goyal, then Commissioner of Kolkata Police; Abhishek Gupta, then Deputy Commissioner of Police (North Division); and Indira Mukherjee, then Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Division). A departmental probe was ordered against all three, and earlier this month their suspension period was extended by 120 days.
Broader Significance
The latest round of suspensions signals that the new BJP-led government in West Bengal intends to pursue accountability for alleged police partisanship during the TMC era. This comes amid a wider political transition in a state where the relationship between the ruling party and law enforcement has long been a flashpoint. Critics of the previous government had repeatedly alleged that police stations were used as instruments of political control — claims TMC leaders have denied. With departmental probes now running in parallel across multiple cases, the question of due process and independent inquiry will remain under scrutiny.
Point of View
Now over broader partisan conduct — and the pattern is deliberate. Each action is announced from a high-visibility platform, signalling that the new dispensation is using accountability as a political instrument as much as a governance one. The risk is that departmental probes, if not conducted by genuinely independent bodies, could be seen as victor's justice rather than institutional reform. West Bengal's police force has long been politicised across multiple regimes; the real test is whether Adhikari builds structural safeguards or merely replaces one set of loyalties with another.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Which five police officers did West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari suspend?
The five suspended officers are IPS officer Koteshwar Rao (former SP, Diamond Harbour), Moazzem Hossain (former Inspector-in-Charge, Kaliaganj PS), Subarna Dutta Chowdhury (former OC, Bartala PS), Sadhan Pandey (former Sub-Inspector, Bartala PS), and Amalendu Biswas (former Inspector-in-Charge, Krishnanagar PS).
Why were these officers suspended?
They were suspended for alleged partisan conduct and involvement in controversies during the previous Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government's tenure from 2021 to 2026. Chief Minister Adhikari stated that police were misused during that period.
Who is Koteshwar Rao and why is his suspension significant?
Koteshwar Rao is an IPS officer who served as Superintendent of Diamond Harbour Police District in South 24 Parganas. He is reportedly a close associate of Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC General Secretary and Diamond Harbour MP, making his suspension particularly politically significant.
What earlier police suspensions did Adhikari order after taking charge?
Shortly after assuming office in May 2026, Adhikari suspended three IPS officers — Vineet Kumar Goyal, Abhishek Gupta, and Indira Mukherjee — in connection with the August 2024 rape and murder of a doctor at RG Kar Medical College. Their suspension period was extended by 120 days earlier this month.
What is Adhikari's stated policy on governance and corruption?
Adhikari has declared a 'Zero Tolerance Policy' against corruption, stating via a social media post that his administration will strictly enforce this across all areas of governance.
