Will ensure smooth polls in state: Soumen Mitra post taking charge

KOLKATA: Describing the Kolkata Police as one of the best forces in India, Soumen Mitra, after taking over as the city's new commissioner, said on Monday he was hopeful that the law enforcers, with their "professionalism", will be able to ensure Assembly polls are conducted smoothly.

The 1988-batch IPS officer said he would do "everything possible to ensure that the city is safe and its citizens are able to exercise their franchise safely".

"All elections are challenging... With the kind of professionalism the Kolkata Police has always shown, we will be able to conduct (the elections) well," he said.

"I have joined today, and will do everything to keep our city safe so that citizens are able to exercise their franchise without fear," Mitra told reporters at the Kolkata Police headquarters in Lalbazar.

He was greeted by the outgoing commissioner Anuj Sharma, who has been shifted to the state CID as the new Additional Director General of Police.

Incidentally, this is Mitra's second stint as the city's Commissioner of Police (CP). In 2016, he was appointed to the post by the Election Commission, replacing the then top cop Rajeev Kumar. Mitra, however, was removed from the post by the TMC government after the Assembly Elections, and Kumar was reinstated.

"(We have) a team of very good officers. I am happy to be here again for the second time. The Kolkata Police is one of the best forces in the country," he said.

Asked which areas are in need of immediate focus, Mitra said, "I will work to empower the force further through training. Better service will be provided to our citizens, to the elderly, to the weaker sections, to women, to children. Preserving the environment is also a priority. We will see to it that chargesheets are filed quickly."

The top officer also stressed upon the need to pay attention to the "changing nature of crime", and said unlawful activities on cyber space were on the rise.