The Election Commission has suspended Sayantan Bhattacharya, the Block Development Officer of the Hanskhali Nadia (Nodia) district of West Bengal, following the assault of a polling official during a training session in Ranaghat.

The Commission has also directed the state Chief Secretary to initiate a departmental inquiry against him immediately.

According to the Commission, Bhattacharya failed to follow prescribed protocols despite being in charge of the training programme.

The incident, which occurred on March 27 at Nodia’s Ranaghat’s Debnath Institute, reportedly began when polling personnel protested the screening of state government promotional videos featuring the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Digha Jagannath Temple, alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

The ensuing violence left a teacher, Saikat Chattopadhyay, seriously injured. An FIR regarding the assault has been lodged at the Ranaghat police station.