The two police officers — Deputy Superintendent of Police (Crime) Meghlal Sarkar and Inspector in-charge of Dinhata Sudhangshu Roy — were present at the time of the incident on Tuesday when Bloc supporters were protesting against the state government’s inability to implement the job guarantee scheme. The protests took place outside the office of the sub divisional officer (SDO) in Dinhata. Inspector General (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia confirmed these officers had been removed from their posts, adding there were still no specific charges.

Home Secretary Prasad Ranjan Roy said the officers were removed in order to preempt any bad blood that might develop between the local population and the district police. The relationship between the Front partner and the CPM has been touchy of late on several issues. Sources in the chief minister’s secretariat said Bhattacharjee took this decision immediately after he arrived from Delhi on Thursday. “He does not want any tension with allies,” an official said.

There is however, grumbling in the Home department, with officials saying that instead of removing junior officers like Sarkar and Roy, top guns of the district, like the district magistrate and the superintendent of police, should have been hauled up for failing to assess the situation.

When contacted, Meghlal Sarkar said: “I was there to supervise police arrangements. I did not fire a single round. Some officers opened fire after being instructed by the sub divisional officer. Whenever such incidents occur, juniors always end up taking the blame.”

The Cooch Behar DM and the SP, meanwhile, have sent separate versions to the state government on who ordered the firing. The police maintain SDO Debabrata Chakraborty authorised it, a claim the SDO contests. The district magistrate has therefore written to the state government stating that the police was forced to open fire in order to control the angry mob.