Calcutta High Court Stays Order Against Officials on Poll Duty Pending Hearing on April 29

West Bengal Assembly Polls: Calcutta High Court Delays Decision on Election Officer

The Calcutta High Court has announced that it will not pass any order regarding any officer who is on election duty until April 29, when the second phase of West Bengal assembly polls is scheduled to be held. This decision was made in response to a verbal prayer from a lawyer, who alleged that IPS officer Ajay Pal Sharma, an Election Commission-appointed police observer for the state assembly election in South 24 Parganas district, was violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The lawyer claimed that Sharma was intimidating voters, prompting Justice Krishna Rao to ask if the Election Commission had been informed of the grievances. The lawyer replied that the EC had been informed, but there had been no response so far. In light of this, Justice Rao directed the lawyer to approach the Election Commission directly if the issue persists.

Sharma is one of the police observers deployed by the Election Commission to ensure free and fair polling in the second phase of polling on April 29. The court's decision to delay any action on this matter until after the polls suggests that it is prioritizing the integrity of the election process and allowing the Election Commission to handle the situation.

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