Prasun Mukherjee
Encyclopedia
Prasun Mukherjee the ex Commissioner of Police
in the city of Kolkata
(Kolkata Police
), West Bengal
, India
. He is allegedly a tainted IPS
officer. In 2007 he was elected President of the Cricket Association of Bengal
but lost the next election and was replaced by Jagmohan Dalmiya
in 2011.
He took over as the Commissioner of Police on 30th November, 2004, and on 17th October 2007, was transferred as Additional Director General of Police, Telecom, West Bengal.Previously, he has also held the post of the 'Secretary of the IPS Officers' Association of West Bengal for eight years in two stints.
, a graphic design instructor at a multimedia teaching private institute. Rahman was allegedly harassed by the top Kolkata Police officials just before his death on 21st September 2007. Mukherjee certified his death as "definitely a suicide or an accident", even before a post-mortem examination report was available. Rahman was a 30 year old Muslim
male from a lower middle class background, who married a 23 year old wealthy Hindu
woman under provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1955; the civil law applicable for registered marriage of persons from two different communities. The woman's father, who was previously under scrutiny for illegal cricket betting
, reportedly sought help from Mukherjee through Snehashish Ganguly, elder brother of Sourav Ganguly, a renowned cricketer in his own right. Snehashish is one of the Directors of the firm owned by the woman's family. It is said the request was for getting his daughter back under the custody of father although she was of appropriate age to marry as an adult and legally allowed to live with her husband. The interference between the two condenting adults took place from the 31st of August till the death of Rahman on 21st September, 2007. On 8th September, Rahman was physically separated from his wife with pressure from top police officials. After a fortnight of the separation, while Rahman filed a case with an NGO, and was planning to move to court, his severed body was found next to the railway tracks.
Mukherjee attended a press conference on 23rd September to endorse the supposed duty of police officials to interfere in people's personal matters. He remarked that "police can interfere in cases where a marriage has taken place between families who are poles apart in social standing". He claimed to have done such things in the past, and said he would do so in the future too. He also asked the press, "who else will do it? The Public Works Department?"
He walked out of the said conference when asked whether he is aware of several laws regarding freedom of adult couples and protection of inter-religious marriages. Later, some police officials confessed that during the harassment, they were aware that Rahman was innocent of any crime, but were just carrying out orders from "the top".
The case generated huge media outcry,and in 2011,has even been linked to the electoral defeat of the ruling government,hither-to considered invincible.
. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was also the Minister of Police, and has a long history of praising the police force for all their actions.
After a lot of speculations, Mukherjee was merely transferred from his post of the Commissioner of Police, on 17th October 2007, primarily due to media and public pressure. The Chief Minister announced that the action of transfer is a punishment in reality, and blamed the delay in his decision on a court case which was going on in the Kolkata High Court. He also added that suspension or removal of an IPS officer cannot be done until the results of the investigation into the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are submitted to the High Court of Calcutta.
Mukherjee has been the President of the West Bengal Athletic Association for the past three years, during which time he encouraged the involvement of sports-persons and corporate sector personalities in supporting the activities of athletes.
Police Commissioner of Kolkata
The Commissioner of Police , Kolkata is the chief of the Kolkata Police. The commissioner is appointed by the Government of West Bengal and reports independently to the Home Department of the State. The headquarters are at 18,Lalbazar Street, near B.B.D. Bagh area in Central Kolkata...
in the city of Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
(Kolkata Police
Kolkata Police
The Kolkata Police Force is one of the two police forces of the Indian state of West Bengal....
), West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. He is allegedly a tainted IPS
Indian Police Service
The Indian Police Service , simply known as Indian Police or IPS, is one of the three All India Services of the Government of India...
officer. In 2007 he was elected President of the Cricket Association of Bengal
Cricket Association of Bengal
The Cricket Association of Bengal is the governing body for cricket in West Bengal. Its headquarters is located in the famous Eden Gardens stadium...
but lost the next election and was replaced by Jagmohan Dalmiya
Jagmohan Dalmiya
Jagmohan Dalmiya, born in Calcutta, India on May 30, 1940, is a well-known Indian cricket administrator. He studied at the Scottish Church College, Calcutta....
in 2011.
Early life
Born in 1950, he earned a degree in Mathematics from Patna University and qualified for the Civil Services and was allotted the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1973, with West Bengal Cadre. During his career so far in the IPS , he has held the following posts:- As Supernumerary ASP while under field training in Jalpaigiri
- ASP & Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO), Arambagh
- Additional Superintendent of Police (Addl SP), Birbhum
- Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Detective Department (II), Calcutta Police
- DCP, 1st Battalion, Calcutta Armed Police
- DCP, North Division, Calcutta Police
- SP, Howrah
- Special Superintendent (SS) of Police, Criminal Investigative Department (C.I.D.), West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
- DCP, Detective Department (I), Calcutta Police
- Deputy Inspector General (D.I.G.), C.I.D.( Operations), West BengalWest BengalWest Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
- D.I.G., C.I.D.,West Bengal
- D.I.G.( Headquarters), West Bengal
- Inspector-General of Police (Law & Order), West Bengal
- IGP, South Bengal Zone ,Kolkata
- IGP, Enforcement Branch, West Bengal
- Additional Commissioner of Police, Kolkata Police
- Additional Director General & IG of Police, Railways, West Bengal
- Commissioner of Police, Kolkata
- Additional Director General & IG of Police (Telecom),West Bengal
- Director General, Bureau of Police Research & Development, Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India
He took over as the Commissioner of Police on 30th November, 2004, and on 17th October 2007, was transferred as Additional Director General of Police, Telecom, West Bengal.Previously, he has also held the post of the 'Secretary of the IPS Officers' Association of West Bengal for eight years in two stints.
The Rizwanur Rahman Case
His name hit the headlines while he attempted to endorse the reason for the mysterious death of Rizwanur RahmanRizwanur Rahman
Rizwanur Rahman was a 30-year-old computer graphics trainer who was possibly murdered after marrying Priyanka Todi, daughter of industrialist Ashok Todi...
, a graphic design instructor at a multimedia teaching private institute. Rahman was allegedly harassed by the top Kolkata Police officials just before his death on 21st September 2007. Mukherjee certified his death as "definitely a suicide or an accident", even before a post-mortem examination report was available. Rahman was a 30 year old Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
male from a lower middle class background, who married a 23 year old wealthy Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
woman under provisions of the Special Marriage Act, 1955; the civil law applicable for registered marriage of persons from two different communities. The woman's father, who was previously under scrutiny for illegal cricket betting
Betting controversies in cricket
Cricket has had a number of controversies relating to players being involved with the betting aspects of the game. In particular, numerous players have been approached by bookmakers and bribed to, throw matches, aspects of matches Cricket has had a number of controversies relating to players being...
, reportedly sought help from Mukherjee through Snehashish Ganguly, elder brother of Sourav Ganguly, a renowned cricketer in his own right. Snehashish is one of the Directors of the firm owned by the woman's family. It is said the request was for getting his daughter back under the custody of father although she was of appropriate age to marry as an adult and legally allowed to live with her husband. The interference between the two condenting adults took place from the 31st of August till the death of Rahman on 21st September, 2007. On 8th September, Rahman was physically separated from his wife with pressure from top police officials. After a fortnight of the separation, while Rahman filed a case with an NGO, and was planning to move to court, his severed body was found next to the railway tracks.
Mukherjee attended a press conference on 23rd September to endorse the supposed duty of police officials to interfere in people's personal matters. He remarked that "police can interfere in cases where a marriage has taken place between families who are poles apart in social standing". He claimed to have done such things in the past, and said he would do so in the future too. He also asked the press, "who else will do it? The Public Works Department?"
He walked out of the said conference when asked whether he is aware of several laws regarding freedom of adult couples and protection of inter-religious marriages. Later, some police officials confessed that during the harassment, they were aware that Rahman was innocent of any crime, but were just carrying out orders from "the top".
The case generated huge media outcry,and in 2011,has even been linked to the electoral defeat of the ruling government,hither-to considered invincible.
Transfer from the post of Police Commissioner
As of early October 2007, several eminent social workers and intellectuals demanded Mukherjee's removal from the post of The Commissioner of Police. The government delayed to take any action presumably due to his close personal relations with the current Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, who previously assisted him in attaining the post of the President of The Cricket Association of BengalCricket Association of Bengal
The Cricket Association of Bengal is the governing body for cricket in West Bengal. Its headquarters is located in the famous Eden Gardens stadium...
. Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was also the Minister of Police, and has a long history of praising the police force for all their actions.
After a lot of speculations, Mukherjee was merely transferred from his post of the Commissioner of Police, on 17th October 2007, primarily due to media and public pressure. The Chief Minister announced that the action of transfer is a punishment in reality, and blamed the delay in his decision on a court case which was going on in the Kolkata High Court. He also added that suspension or removal of an IPS officer cannot be done until the results of the investigation into the case by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) are submitted to the High Court of Calcutta.
Interests
Mukherjee has expressed interest in wildlife and nature conservation, and was one of the founder members of the NGO Nature Environment & Wildlife Society (NEWS), Calcutta in 1992. He has been the President of NEWS since 1996 and the organization has grown to become one of the leading NGO's working in this field. Mukherjee is also the Editor-in-Chief of the NEWS's quarterly colour magazine `ENVIRON', focusing on conservation of wildlife & nature.Mukherjee has been the President of the West Bengal Athletic Association for the past three years, during which time he encouraged the involvement of sports-persons and corporate sector personalities in supporting the activities of athletes.