Kolkata, May 17 -- Kolkata Police has withdrawn house guards and additional security cover provided to several Trinamool Congress leaders, including MLA Kunal Ghosh, MP Rajeev Kumar and former minister Sovan Chatterjee, alleging they were receiving security beyond their entitlement.
After the BJP-led government assumed power in West Bengal, the Z-plus security cover of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee was also withdrawn. The state government said Banerjee would now receive only the security cover entitled to an MP. Consequently, additional police personnel and baggage scanner machines installed at his residence were removed.
Security cover of other TMC leaders, including Chandrima Bhattacharya and Arup Biswas, was also withdrawn. Sources said Kunal Ghosh would now receive security entitled to an MLA, while Rajeev Kumar and Kalyan Banerjee would get MP-level security. Former ministers defeated in the Assembly polls will no longer receive security cover.
In a Facebook post on Sunday, Kunal claimed the previous (TMC) government had not voluntarily provided him security and that he had obtained court-directed protection after seeking it during the investigation of a particular case. Alleging violation of the court order, he said his lawyer Ayan Chakraborty would write to Kolkata Police enclosing the relevant order.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.