The West Bengal authorities has appointed former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar as the brand new appearing director common of the state police, officers mentioned on Wednesday. Kumar will exchange Manoj Malviya, who retired on Wednesday and has been appointed as state police advisor for the subsequent three years.
Kumar was beforehand the state’s data and expertise division minister.
The state has appointed Extra Chief Secretary (House) Bhagwati Prasad Gopalika as the brand new chief secretary of West Bengal, officers mentioned. Gopalika is a 1989 batch IAS officer. He’ll exchange HK Dwivedi – a 1988 batch IAS officer whose tenure was prolonged by the federal government on June 28 earlier this 12 months. Dwivedi is scheduled to retire on December 31.
In response to sources, Kumar is taken into account near West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. In 2019, a 1989 batch officer of the West Bengal cadre was questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection together with his alleged reference to the multi-crore Saradha Ponzi scheme.
Kumar was a part of the Particular Investigation Workforce (SIT) constituted by the state authorities to research the case. Later, the Supreme Court docket handed over the case to the CBI in 2014. The central company accused Kumar of not handing over vital paperwork associated to the case. He was then Commissioner of Bidhannagar Commissionerate.
He was initially interrogated by a particular group of the CBI at a “impartial location” in Shillong on the order of the Supreme Court docket. Later, he was questioned once more in Kolkata. Then he was serving as Kolkata Police Commissioner.
The Sarada group of firms allegedly cheated hundreds of individuals by promising them increased charges of return on their investments.
Alleging a coup in opposition to her authorities, the chief minister organized a dharna in opposition to the CBI’s motion in opposition to the chief police officer.
In the course of the Left authorities’s rule, Kumar performed an vital function in anti-Maoist operations in Janglimahal areas.
“He as soon as saved Mamata Banerjee and now she is rewarding him,” mentioned Chief of the Opposition within the state meeting, Suvendu Adhikari of the BJP. “Banerjee is giving the (prime) place solely to those that will all the time be her go-to man,” CPI(M)’s Sujan Chakraborty mentioned.