Kolkata (West Bengal)

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has filed a writ petition before the Calcutta High Court alleging "serious misconduct" by Police Observer Parmar Smit Parshottamdas, accusing him of holding an "unofficial and undisclosed meeting" with a BJP candidate during the ongoing West Bengal Assembly elections.

The petition, filed by TMC leader Rajeev Kumar on behalf of the party, pertains to the 142-Magrahat Paschim Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas, where Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gour Ghosh is in the fray.

"The present writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India has been filed by the Petitioners regarding serious misconduct by Mr Parmar Smit Parshottamdas, IPS, appointed as a Police Observer for the WBLA Elections 2026," as per the writ petition.

It further alleged that despite being assigned a role requiring "strict neutrality and independence," the officer "engaged in an undisclosed and unofficial meeting with Gour Ghosh, a BJP candidate from the 142-Magrahat Paschim Assembly Constituency, which falls within his assigned jurisdiction."

The petition also claimed that Parshottamdas, who had replaced Hari Lal Chouhan as Police Observer for four constituencies in South 24 Parganas, was officially allotted accommodation at the IPS Mess in Alipore.

However, it alleged that he "deviated from protocol by staying at Sagarika Tourist Lodge in Diamond Harbour on April 20, 2026, where the alleged meeting took place."

The TMC has further claimed that CCTV footage of the alleged meeting has been annexed to the petition as evidence.

"The petitioner contends that such conduct violates established norms governing election observers, undermines the principles of neutrality, transparency, and institutional integrity, and erodes public confidence in the fairness of the electoral process," the petition letter read.

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It further argued that Election Commission-appointed observers are expected to function as independent monitors to ensure free and fair elections, adding that "any engagement with political candidates in a private and undisclosed manner is a grave breach of duty warranting judicial scrutiny."

The matter is expected to be taken up by the Calcutta High Court.