Prasun Banerjee, a 2006 batch IPS officer of West Bengal cadre, has take voluntary retirement from service. His VRS has been approved and he is likely to take a plunge in politics post retirement.
According to sources, Prasun Banerjee is likely to contest Lok Sabha election on Trinamool Congress (TMC) ticket against state BJP chief Sukanata Majumder from Balurghat.
Banerjee was last posted as Inspector General of Police Raiganj range. He is popular among general public and is a good bet for TMC. Recently, Calcutta High Court judge Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay had put in his paper and announced that he will be joining BJP.
Gangopadhyay says that he was in touch with the BJP and the BJP was in touch with him, implying that as a sitting judge he was in touch with a political party, that has once again raised questions of judicial propriety, independence, and whether there should be a cooling off period for judges before they enter electoral politics.
Prasun Banerjee has tried his hands in acting also
Prasun Banerjee has been part of several plays, documentaries and short films. He co-directed a documentary that was selected for Dadasaheb Phalke Award. He has also written a Bengali short story on football called “Byatar Elem Chhilo”, after the death of Argentine footballer Diego Maradona.
Banerjee plays the character of an IPS officer, ‘Avimanyu Dasgupta', in the Bengali mega serial ‘Desher Mati'. He has also directed a documentary named, ‘Paradise Lost: From Dazzle to Despair', which is based on the Zamindari system in North Bengal.
Another IPS Humayun Kabir had also joined TMC during last assembly polls
This is not for the first time an IPS officer has taken voluntary retirement to contest elections. During 2021 assembly elections also Humayun Kabir, an IPS officer promoted from state service, had joined TMC and won the election from his native town Debra. He was made cabinet minister of state (independent charge) on 10 May, 2021. He was removed from the cabinet on the next year on 3 August.
Prakash Bhandari is a veteran journalist with over 50 years of experience. He has worked with The Times of India for 30 years and contributed to leading publications as well as international news agency AFP.
