IPS officer Gyanwant Singh appointed as Mamata Banerjee's chief of security

A day after the suspension of Vivek Sahay from post of Director Security by Election Commission, the Governor of West Bengal today appointed Gyanwant Singh as the director of security for West Bengal. In a letter issued by the Government Of West Bengal, IPS Gyanwant Singh who is presently posted as Additional Director Security of West Bengal was appointed as the Director Security with an immediate effect.

Vivek Sahay was suspended yesterday for lapses that led to Mamata Banerjee's leg injury in Nandigram on March 10.

Yesterday, the EC issuing a statement against Sahay said, "Charges must be framed against him within a week for grossly failing in discharge of his primary duty as Director Security to protect the Z+ protectee".

The commission also suspended Purba Medinipur SP Pravin Prakash for not making proper security arrangements during the visit. "Charges shall be framed against him for major failure of bandobast," it said.

To keep a closer look at such incidents, the commission has appointed former DGP Intelligence Punjab, Anil Kumar Sharma as Special Police Observer for West Bengal Assembly elections while AK Sharma shall be second Special Police Observer, in addition to Vivek Dube.

Also the commission has posted IAS officer Smita Pandey as DM and DEO, Purba Medinipur in place of Vibhu Goel who has been transferred to a non-election post.

These actions come after the incident when CM Mamata Banerjee was injured during her visit in Nandigram on March 10 from where she is contesting as a candidate in the upcoming Assembly polls. She was rushed to Kolkata through a 'green corridor' for treatment.

Mamata Banerjee, who has Z-Plus security, has to travel in a bullet-proof car, but she was not. Instead, the security in-charge was sitting in the bullet-proof car, the Commission said. The Commission, which had immediately ordered an inquiry into the Nandigram incident, said the Trinamool memo questioned the "very basis of formation and functioning of the Election Commission".