Just 12 days before the first phase of polling in West Bengal on April 23, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed a significant reshuffle in the state’s police force. A total of 30 officers from West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police, ranging from deputy inspector general (DIG) to inspector levels, have been transferred.
Rupesh Kumar, who was serving as joint commissioner (crime) of Kolkata Police, has been replaced by Soma Das Mitra, the former DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of West Bengal Police. Meanwhile, Miraj Khalid, the joint commissioner of police (headquarters) of Kolkata Police, has been replaced by Sudip Sarkar, who previously held the position of DIG (personnel) in West Bengal Police.
The joint commissioner (intelligence) of Kolkata Police, Soumya Roy, has been replaced by Debsmita Das, who previously served as the DIG (Special Task Force) of the state police. The Election Commission has also transferred 7 deputy commissioner-level officers within Kolkata Police and other police commissionerates, with new appointments and replacements made across various positions.
In addition to the senior and mid-level officers, the Commission has also reassigned 18 inspector-ranking officers. This reshuffle began at midnight on March 16, coinciding with the announcement of the polling dates, when the Commission made changes to the Chief Secretary, state Home Secretary, Director General of Police, and Police Commissioner of Kolkata, barring their involvement in electoral duties.
