Rajeev Kumar Re-Appointed As West Bengal DGP, Sanjoy Mukherjee Transferred To Fire And Emergency Services

Rajeev Kumar was reappointed as DGP of West Bengal. This reappointment follows an ECI directive to assign Kumar to a non-election role during the Lok Sabha elections.

File photo of Rajeev Kumar who has been re-appointed as West Bengal DGP on Monday

Source : ANI

Rajeev Kumar has been re-appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal. This announcement came through a government notification on Monday. The current DGP, Sanjoy Mukherjee, has been transferred to the role of Director General of Fire and Emergency Services.

The notification, bearing number 1291-P.S. Cell/HR/O/3P-03/2018, issued by the Home and Hill Affairs Department, Police Service Cell of the Government of West Bengal, stated, "The Governor is pleased to order that Shri Rajeev Kumar, IPS, presently posted as Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Electronics, Government of West Bengal, will hold the charge of Director General & Inspector General of Police, West Bengal in addition to his existing duties with effect from the date of assuming his charge until further order."

Rajeev Kumar appointed as DGP of West Bengal. Current DGP Sanjoy Mukherjee has been transferred as DG Fire and Emergency Services. pic.twitter.com/JXTxT9MEDL

— ANI (@ANI) July 15, 2024

ECI Instructed Bengal Chief Secretary To Assign Rajeev Kumar To Non-Poll Related Role Amid Lok Sabha Elections

This reappointment follows a directive from the Election Commission of India (ECI) in March, which instructed the state Chief Secretary to assign Rajeev Kumar to a non-election-related role and appoint a junior officer as the DGP immediately. The state was also asked to submit a panel of three officers for consideration as the new DGP.

Following the ECI's directive, the West Bengal government appointed Vivek Sahay as the new DGP. Kumar, who had been appointed as the state DGP last December, was reassigned to the Information Technology department in a role unrelated to election duties, according to sources cited by PTI. This decision stemmed from Kumar's previous removal from active election management duties during the 2016 assembly election and the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The ECI's decision to remove Kumar was part of its efforts to ensure a level playing field in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The ECI directed the removal of home secretaries from six states—Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand—as well as the general administrative department secretaries of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, reported PTI. The decision was prompted by concerns about dual responsibilities potentially compromising the impartiality required during elections.

A source had told PTI, "The decision to shift the West Bengal DGP was taken as the officer was removed earlier too from active election management-related duty during the 2016 assembly election in the state and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections."