EC asks CAPF's 400 companies to stay in Bengal till June 19

Kolkata, June 3 (IANS) Fearing post-poll violence, the Election Commission (EC) has decided to retain 400 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in West Bengal till June 19.

Results for the Lok Sabha polls will be announced on Tuesday.

Initially, it was decided that 400 companies would be retained in the state only up to June 6, just two days after the counting date (June 4). However, insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said in the wake of ground-level reports hinting towards the possibility of a breakout of massive post-poll violence, it has been ultimately decided to increase the retention period of CAPF in the state till June 16.

They added, that the rest of the arrangements relating to the retention of CAPF after the counting date will be the same. Of these 400 companies, 115 companies will be of the Central Reserve Police (CRPF), 118 will be of the Border Security Force (BSF), 71 of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), 60 of Sashastra Seema Bal and 36 of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

To recall, post-poll violence broke out in different pockets of West Bengal after the 2021 state assembly polls. The National Human Rights Commission had then visited West Bengal to review the situation.

Following an order from the Calcutta High Court, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) also started an investigation into the matter which is still on.