IPS Damayanti Sen is new DIG of Darjeeling

KOLKATA: IPS officer Damayanti Sen, who was the DIG (training), has been posted as DIG (Darjeeling) on Friday. A section of police officers is seeing this as a move to put her in a troubled situation, as she is not in the good books of the administration. Damayanti who was earlier the joint CP(crime) in Kolkata Police was posted as DIG (training) last April. Some officers said that she was shunted out of Lalbazar for not toeing the lines of chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the Park Street rape case in February 2012. The CM had dragged her into controversy by initially rubbishing the incident of rape as a fabricated case. 

But Damayanti, after taking over the case, single-handedly made the arrests. in the case as she had persisted with the victim's account. When a trouble is again brewing over Darjeeling following a renewed demand of statehood by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM), Damayanti's posting as DIG (Darjeeling) is seen by some as an attempt to put her in troubled waters. tnnThis week the GJM took a resolution to remove Soumitra Mohan from the post of CEO of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) and for that agitation is also on. Sources at the Writers' said the state was planning to post a new officer replacing Mohan. Since Mohan had objected to the expenses made by GTA. 

He had raised objections and had given notes that GTA was misusing funds. However, sources said Mohan is likely to continue as the DM of Darjeeling. Moreover, the recent cabinet decision of the state government to set up Mayal Lyang Lepcha Development Board has also added to the Hills' tension and GJM is now going to renew their demand for Gorkhaland with renewed zeal. So, at this point of time Damayanti as DIG (Darjeeling) has to handle the agitations on her own.