KOLKATA: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday sought an action taken report from the West Bengal Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar on the attack on the car of IAS officer C Murugan, the special electoral roll observer (SERO) appointed for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, by January 6.
Expressing serious concern over the incident, the ECI secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra wrote a letter to the DGP on Saturday and sent copies to the state chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal.
“The Commission has carefully examined the aforesaid reports and noticed that despite advance intimation of the tour programme to the sub-Divisional Officer and Superintendent of Police, adequate security arrangements were not made and the Electoral Roll Observer was compelled to move through sensitive areas without proper police protection," said Mishra in the letter.
"Further, it has also been noticed that sloganeering, mob gathering, obstruction of official work and damage to the Observer’s vehicle have been reported. Further an FIR has been filed on 29.12.25 against 30-40 unknown, unruly and agitated persons that too after repeated efforts. These incidents reflect serious lapses on the part of the police administration,” he added.
The Commission was prompted to seek the report from the DGP after Murugan, a senior IAS officer of the 2005 batch, submitted a detailed report on the attack on his car during a visit to the SIR hearing camps in Magrahat I and Magrahat II and Kulpi Block of Diamond Harbour sub-division in South 24 Parganas district on December 29.
Abhishek Banerjee, national general secretary of the Trinamool Congress, is the MP from Diamond Harbour constituency.
“The commission has viewed these lapses seriously and directs you furnish an Action Taken Report (ATR) on the said incidents, including details of police action taken, follow-up measures and steps initiated to fix responsibility, latest by Tuesday, 06.01.2026 by 5 PM, to the Commission,” said the ECI secretary's letter.
The national poll body has also directed the DGP to deploy a senior police officer along with adequate security personnel whenever any Electoral Roll Observer/ Special Electoral Roll Observer conducts field visits related to the SIR exercise.
A group of around 40 people damaged the door handle of Murugan's car after he came out of a hearing camp near the office of a block development officer (BDO) at Magrahat.
The agitators -- mostly women -- were protesting against the ongoing SIR exercise and the Centre’s decision to withhold funds for the job guarantee scheme under MGNREGA. They prevented the vehicle from getting out of the area. Police somehow managed to control the situation within around half an hour.
“I will not be cowed down by any kind of agitation as an IAS officer. The Election Commission has assigned me and I will carry out its instructions,” Murugan had told reporters on the spot.