 "West Bengal gets new DGP in less than 24 hours; here's why Sanjay Mukherjee has replaced Vivek Sahay")
West Bengal has again got a new director general of police (DGP), the second in less than 24 hours. The Election Commission of India (ECI) Tuesday replaced Vivek Sahay, who was appointed as DGP on March 18 with Sanjay Mukherjee.
Why did Bengal get new DGP in less than a day?
A report by Hindustan Times cited a senior state government official saying Sahay was probably replaced as he is expected to retire in May this year when the Lok Sabha 2024 polls would be undergoing in seven phases.
Sahay, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was appointed DGP of Bengal on Monday afternoon and by Tuesday early noon he has been replaced.
Who is Sanjay Mukherjee new DGP of West Bengal?
The name of Mukherjee, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was among the three eligible officers state chief secretary BP Gopalika has sent to the poll body for the post of DGP. The others were Sahay and Rajesh Kumar.
Mukherjee is the son of Arun Prasad Mukherjee, a decorated IPS officer who served as DGP West Bengal, director of CBI and post-retirement, adviser to Union home minister Indrajit Gupta and governor of Mizoram.
EC transfers Bengal ex-DGP Rajeev Kumar
Sahay, Bengal’s DGP for a day, had replaced Rajeev Kumar who was transferred to ’non-political’ duties by the ECI within 48 hours after the announcement of the dates of the Lok Sabha polls 2024.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPolling on 42 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal will be held in seven phases between April 19 to June 1. The state has a history of political violence in the elections and in the panchayat polls held in 2023, about 50 people have lost their lives.
Interestingly Kumar was appointed the DGP of West Bengal three months ago.
Kumar’s transfer, according to the commission, is part of its “efforts to maintain a level-playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process”.
Back in 2016, Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was removed by the EC from the post of Commissioner of Kolkata Police. He was reinstated by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee soon after the Trinamool Congress returned to power.
Why was Kumar removed?
Kumar, who was appointed as the state DGP last December, has been at the centre of many controversies. In the 2016 Assembly polls, Opposition leaders had accused Kumar, who was the Kolkata police chief at the time, of tapping their phones.
The decision to shift Kumar was taken as the officer was removed earlier too from active election management-related duty during the 2016 assembly election in the state and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, poll panel sources pointed out.
In 2019, the Central Bureau of Investigation knocked on Kumar’s door in connection to the Saradha chit fund scam.
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