Vivek Sahay, an officer of the Indian Police Service (IPS), is set to assume the position of Director General of Police in West Bengal, succeeding the outgoing acting DGP, Rajeev Kumar, whose removal was mandated by the Election Commission of India earlier this Monday.
Sahay, belonging to the 1988 batch, currently holds the position of Director General and Commandant General of the Home Guards. He was previously relieved from the role of Director, Security, following a security breach at Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s residence back in 2022.
Rajeev Kumar, from the 1989 batch, had taken charge as the acting DGP superseding Sahay when he was appointed last year.
Sources within the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer revealed that the Election Commission had requested the names of three senior IPS officers as potential replacements for Rajeev Kumar. The names, including Sahay's, were duly submitted.
The other contenders were Sanjoy Mukherjee (1989 batch) and Dr. Rajesh Kumar (1990 batch). However, Sahay was selected as the most senior among the trio.
Apart from his removal from the post, the Commission has also barred Rajeev Kumar from participating in any election-related processes for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. This action was taken within three months of his appointment as the acting DGP.
Rajeev Kumar's tenure has been riddled with controversies, notably his implication in the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) probe into the Saradha chit fund scam.
He had been replaced twice as Commissioner of Kolkata Police by the Election Commission prior to the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections. However, post-elections, he was reinstated by the state government.
During a recent visit by top officials of the Commission to West Bengal, numerous opposition parties lodged complaints against Rajeev Kumar, alleging a lack of transparency in his actions.
The opposition parties have welcomed the removal of the acting DGP.
"Considering Rajeev Kumar’s track record, his ousting was inevitable. Even Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was presumably aware of it. However, she may have had her reasons for appointing him," asserted BJP Rajya Sabha member Samik Bhattacharya.
"I have a single query for Rajiv Kumar, once regarded as a competent police officer. What drove him to such depths that his reputation suffered repeatedly? Yet, it seems he failed to learn from these experiences," remarked CPI-M Central Committee member Sujan Chakraborty.
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