'Sidelined' IPS officer gets key role under Suvendu government
What's the story
Damayanti Sen, a 1996-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed as the member secretary of a commission probing atrocities against women and children in West Bengal. The commission is headed by retired Justice Samapti Chatterjee and was constituted by the Suvendu Adhikari-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. This marks a significant return to prominence for Sen, who was earlier sidelined during the controversial 2012 Park Street rape case under the Trinamool Congress (TMC) regime.
Case controversy
Case turned political flashpoint
The Park Street rape case, which took place on February 6, 2012, had turned into a political controversy after a woman alleged she was gang-raped inside a moving car. The then TMC government led by Mamata Banerjee had dismissed the incident as a "sajano ghatana" (fabricated story), triggering nationwide criticism and protests by women's rights groups. Sen, who was then Joint Commissioner (Crime) of Kolkata Police, led an investigation that established the assault had indeed occurred.
Career trajectory
Sen was transferred after solving case
Soon after the Park Street case was solved, Sen was transferred from her post to the Police Training College in Barrackpore. While officially termed a routine administrative move, it sparked political controversy, with critics alleging that Sen was sidelined for pursuing an investigation contrary to the government's narrative. After the case, Sen, who was the first woman to serve as the joint commissioner of Police (Crime) of Kolkata Police, remained away from politically sensitive assignments during much of TMC's tenure.
New responsibilities
Sen's return to limelight
In 2022, the Calcutta High Court entrusted Sen with investigating four rape cases and the Rasika Jain death case, a move seen as a sign of judicial confidence in her abilities. She was later appointed Additional Director General (Training) in 2023. The commission headed by Justice Chatterjee will probe cases such as Sandeshkhali, Kasba, and Bogtui, among others, under the previous regime.