Dismissed trainee SIs rally outside secretariat, demand reinstatement

Dismissed trainee sub-inspectors (SIs) of the 40th cadet SI batch staged a sit-in outside the Secretariat on Sunday morning (January 4), demanding reinstatement into their training programmme.

The protesters, gathered at the western gate of the Secretariat, held placards with slogans such as:

“In red and green Bengal, there is no place for discrimination.”

“Why should we bear the burden of serving the country without pay?”

“365 days without pay, give us back our jobs.”

“We have only one demand: quick reinstatement.”

Dismissal of 321 SIs

A total of 321 trainee SIs were dismissed in four phases, accused of disciplinary breaches during field and classroom training. These dismissals stem from allegations of disorder at the academy, including breaches of discipline and show-cause notices issued to trainees.

Trainees deny allegations

The dismissed trainees refuted the charges, calling them baseless. They stated that no incidents of chaos occurred, as confirmed by the academy's CCTV footage.

One trainee claimed, “I was on leave on the day the show-cause notice was issued. Yet, I was dismissed.”

Another trainee added, “We come from lower-middle-class families who made sacrifices for this job. Being dismissed like this is heartbreaking.”

Efforts to seek redress

The dismissed SIs have submitted memorandums to the Home Ministry, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), and other relevant departments. However, they reported receiving no response.

The dismissed trainees plan to hold a press conference following their sit-in to provide more details about their grievances and demand reinstatement.

The 40th cadet SI batch consisted of 823 trainees who began basic training at the Sarda Police Academy on November 4, 2023. Dismissals occurred in phases: on October 21, 252 trainees dismissed, on November 4, 58 trainees dismissed, and on November 18: 3 trainees dismissed.