The West Bengal government has forwarded a list of eight senior IPS officers to the Centre for potential selection as the state’s next permanent Director General of Police (DGP). Among the nominees are acting DGP Rajeev Kumar, set to retire on January 31, and Rajesh Kumar, who has raised concerns about unfair treatment in the selection process. The list also includes officers like Ranveer Kumar, Debashish Roy, Anuj Sharma, Jagmohan, N Ramesh Babu, and Siddhinath Gupta.
As per protocol, the state government sends a group of senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for consideration. The UPSC’s Empanelment Committee will then shortlist three names and return them to the state government for the final decision-making process. Sources have clarified that the inclusion of Rajeev Kumar’s name is primarily for administrative reasons, given his seniority within the West Bengal Police force during the retirement of the previous permanent DGP, Manoj Malaviya, in December 2023.
It has been indicated by sources that Piyush Pandey, Rajesh Kumar, and Ranveer Kumar are being seriously considered for the position. Pandey, a former SPG officer, currently heads Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s security team. However, it remains uncertain whether the ultimate selection will be made from these three candidates. This marks the second instance of the state submitting a panel for the DGP role, with the previous list sent on December 27, 2023, being returned by the UPSC due to procedural issues.
Following a directive from the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in response to a petition by IPS officer Rajesh Kumar, the state government has been instructed to resubmit the panel by January 23. The Tribunal has also mandated the UPSC to convene its Empanelment Committee on January 28 to evaluate the names. It is anticipated that the Commission will provide the state government with a list of three shortlisted candidates on January 29, prompting the state to reach a decision promptly. West Bengal Police currently operates without a full-time DGP, with Rajeev Kumar serving in an acting capacity until his retirement on January 31.
