Bengal: Former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar Appointed New DGP

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posted on 11 months ago — updated on 1 second ago

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As the Kolkata police commissioner, Rajeev Kumar made headlines when CM Mamata Banerjee took to the streets in 2019 as a CBI team reached his residence to question him as part of the probe into the alleged Saradha scam

The West Bengal government on Wednesday appointed former Kolkata police commissioner Rajeev Kumar as the new director general and inspector general of police. The 1989-batch IPS officer, who was questioned by the CBI in the Saradha chit fund scam, will take charge from Thursday (December 28) as Manoj Malviya retired on the day.

According to officials, Kumar will hold additional charge as DG since he is the secretary of information and technology department. An IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre, he has earlier served as the additional DGP of the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

As the Kolkata police commissioner, Kumar made headlines when chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to the streets in February 2019 as a CBI team reached his residence to question him as part of the investigation into the infamous Saradha scam. While the Kolkata Police did not allow the central agency to question the then top cop, there was a massive showdown between the two forces over this.

As the city police got into a tussle with CBI officials, the chief minister sat on a dharna in Dharmatala calling the agency’s action “political vendetta”. Sources said Kumar was later interrogated by the CBI in Shillong as he was heading the special investigation team (SIT) looking into the alleged scam.

Sources told News18 that the DG is appointed when the state government sends names of DG-rank IPS officers to the UPSC with their annual confidential report. The UPSC then sends back three names, out of which one is selected. But, they added, in this case no name has been sent to the UPSC and, hence, the state can appoint any senior IPS officer of DG rank in that post for the time being.

The BJP hit out at Kumar’s appointment and requested the CBI to take it up with the Supreme Court. Leader of opposition Suvendhu Adhikary said the new DGP had “helped Mamata Banerjee stay outside”. “Rajeev Kumar has destroyed evidence and has helped Mamata Banerjee to stay outside, that’s why he has been made DG. I would request CBI to follow up matter in Supreme Court,” he added.