india

Updated: Feb 03, 2020 09:30 IST

The Election Commission on Sunday removed south-east Delhi deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Chinmoy Biswal from his post, citing the “ongoing situation”, a day after a 23-year-old fired two rounds at the Shaheen Bagh protest site where people are demonstrating against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Hundreds of protesters have gathered at the protests site since December, when Parliament approved the new citizenship law. Two days before the shooting at the Shaheen Bagh protest, a 17-year-old also opened fire at a group of protesting students near Jamia Millia Islamia, injuring one of them. Both the areas come under Biswas’s jurisdiction

“Chinmoy Biswal IPS (2008), DCP (South-East) stands relieved from his present post with immediate effect and shall report to MHA [ministry of home affairs]. In view of the ongoing situation, Commission directs Kumar Gyanesh, DANIPS (1997) shall take charge as DCP (South-East) immediately,” the Election Commission said in a statement.

“The Ministry of Home Affairs or Delhi Commissioner of Police may, however, immediately send a panel of three names to the EC for posting a suitable officer as the regular DCP (South-East),” the statement added.

Experts said the handling of the recent incidents of firing at Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar appeared to be the reason behind the action against Biswal.

Biswal, the chief of the south-east district police, was also criticised for entering the Jamia Millia Islamia campus with his force and lathi-charging students after clashes between the police and anti-CAA protesters outside the campus.

The police later faced heat over initially blocking Road 13A at Shaheen Bagh on December 15, which led to residents gathering and holding a sit-in protest on the street.

Delhi Police commissioner Amulya Patnaik was not available for a response to calls and a text message.