Suvendu Govt Shakes Up Police Force, Transfers 179 Officers Across Bengal

In the biggest police reshuffle since the BJP came to power in West Bengal, the state government on Monday transferred and promoted 179 police officers across the state, signalling a major reorganisation of the law-and-order machinery under the new administration.

According to a notification issued by the Home and Hill Affairs Department , the exercise covers 151 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and 28 West Bengal Police Service (WBPS) officers. The transfers span the state police, Kolkata Police, commissionerates, intelligence units, district police forces and specialised wings.

Officials said the reshuffle is the largest administrative realignment undertaken since the change of government. From police commissioners and range heads to superintendents of police and deputy commissioners, almost every tier of the police hierarchy has been affected. The move also includes a number of promotions and fresh assignments for senior officers.

Among the key appointments, Rajesh Kumar Yadav and Gaurav Sharma have been posted as Inspectors General of Police (IGPs) in the State Special Task Force (STF) , while former Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Murlidhar Sharma has been appointed IGP, Intelligence Branch .

In Kolkata Police, Kunal Aggarwal has been named Additional Commissioner (Crime) , while Mukesh has been posted as IGP, Armed Police, Kolkata. Syed Waquar Raza will take charge as Police Commissioner of Siliguri , north Bengal's largest city, and Joy Biswas has been appointed IGP, Railways.

Surya Pratap Yadav will serve as Joint Commissioner (Traffic) in Kolkata Police, while Saumya Roy has been posted as Senior Superintendent of the Enforcement Branch.

The reshuffle also includes several deputy commissioner-level changes in Kolkata Police and new district police chiefs, including Chandra Sekhar Bardham as SP of Diamond Harbour Police District and K Sunny Raj as SP of Purulia.

The exercise follows multiple Election Commission-directed transfers before the Assembly polls, which affected hundreds of officers, and is being viewed as the new government's first comprehensive restructuring of the state's police administration.