A political controversy has arisen in West Bengal following the appointment of former additional director general (South Bengal), Supratim Sarkar, as the new Commissioner of Kolkata Police. The West Bengal Police Directorate officially announced this appointment on Friday. Top BJP leaders in the state alleged that Sarkar was rewarded with the position by the Mamata Banerjee-led government for his handling of tensions in Sandeshkhali back in 2024.
Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, criticized Sarkar, calling him an opportunist cop with close ties to both the previous Left Front regime and the current Trinamool Congress leadership. Meanwhile, Sukanta Majumdar, former West Bengal BJP president and current Union Minister, recalled Sarkar’s role as the police superintendent of Hooghly district during protests against land acquisition at Singur.
Responding to the allegations, state education minister Bratya Basu dismissed them as baseless, stating that Sarkar’s appointment was a routine administrative transfer. Basu criticized the BJP for their accusations, referencing their support for individuals accused of rape in Unnao. Sarkar took over from the former Kolkata Police Commissioner, Manoj Verma, who was reassigned as the director (securities), while Peeyush Pandey was named the Acting Director General of the state police following Rajeev Kumar’s retirement on Saturday.
