In a major reshuffle in the IPS cadre in West Bengal, Rajeev Kumar an officer of 1989 batch was named the new commissioner of Kolkata Police. While Soumen Mitra, who is an officer of 1988 batch, has moved to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as Additional Director General (ADG) and Inspector General of Police (IGP). Before the reshuffle, Mitra was Special Commissioner I of the Kolkata Police, which is the second important post after the commissioner of police.
Kumar was first chief of the Special Task Force of the Kolkata Police when Gautam Mohan Chakraborty was the Commissioner of Police and after serving in the post for years he was transferred to the post of Commissioner of Police of Bidhannagar Commissionerate.
The rank and file of the Kolkata Police welcomed the return of Kumar, a B Tech from College of Engineering Roorkee, in the force as he had served the city police for several years and played a pivotal role in the arrest of several terrorists and anti-national elements.
It may be mentioned that Sajid, a Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) activist was arrested when he was commissioner of the Bidhannagar Commissionerate. He was last transferred to the CID as its ADG from Bidhannagar Commissionerate.
Mitra who had also served the Kolkata Police for a long period will replace Kumar in CID. Mitra had served Kolkata Police in several important posts including Deputy Commissioner of a division, DC (headquarters) and DC (detective department).
Sources said that a new post as director general of police (crime) has been created. Surajit Kar Purakayastha, who was the commissioner of the Kolkata Police, would be the first DG (Crime) and OSD (Home). Purakayastha had become the Commissioner of the city police by replacing RK Pachnanda after the incident in which sub-inspector Tapash Chowdhury was shot dead outside Hari Mohan Ghosh College. It is learnt that he could be the next Director General of Police after current incumbent GMP Reddy retires later this year.
Vineet Goyal, an IPS of 1994 batch, will be the new additional commissioner of police I of the Kolkata Police. He was earlier IGP II in CID. R Sivakumar, who was commissioner of police I will become the new commissioner of police II and Rajeev Mishra who was commissioner of police II will become the new commissioner of police III. Bharati Ghosh, SP Midnapore West, will be the new OSD (LWE) and Badana Varun Chandra will be new SP Midnapore West.