Patna — In a significant bureaucratic reshuffle ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, the Nitish Kumar-led state government has transferred 12 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, a move widely seen as part of administrative preparations for the electoral process.
The Home Department issued a formal notification announcing the transfers, which involve officers from various batches ranging from 2012 to 2022. The reshuffle covers strategic positions across the state including district superintendents, commandants of armed forces, and senior roles in the Crime Investigation Department.
Key Transfers in the Reshuffle
- Shikhar Chaudhary (2020 batch) has been appointed as the new Superintendent of Police (SP), Katihar. He was previously SP (Rural), Saran district.
- Vaibhav Sharma (2018 batch), who earlier served as SP Katihar, has now been posted to SP Research Control, CID, Patna.
- Mithilesh Kumar (2012 batch) moves to the Police Headquarters, Patna, after his tenure as Commandant of the Bihar Special Armed Police (BSAP) in Bagaha.
- Shaishav Yadav (2016 batch) has been appointed Principal, Police Training Centre, Dumraon, replacing his previous role as DIG (Modernisation), Patna.
- Navjot Simi (2018 batch) has been transferred to BSAP-19, Begusarai as Commandant. She previously headed BSAP-8 in the same district.
- Manoj Kumar (2018 batch) takes over BSAP-8, Begusarai as Commandant. He was earlier posted with the Vigilance Investigation Bureau as SP.
- Mahendra Kumar Basanti (2018 batch) is now Commandant of the Home Guard Corps, Patna. He was previously leading the Dumraon Police Training Centre.
- Sanjay Kumar (2018 batch) has been appointed SP (Rural), Saran, shifting from his previous post as Law & Order SP, Patna.
Younger Officers Also Reassigned
- Mohibullah Ansari (2021 batch) has been posted as Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO)-1, Nagar, Patna.
- Akhilesh Jha (2022 batch) takes over as SDPO-1, Dehri, Rohtas.
- Shivam Dhakad (2022 batch) has been posted as SDPO-1, Danapur, Patna.
- Divyanjali Jaiswal (2022 batch) joins as Assistant Superintendent of Police, CID, Patna.
Political Context
This is the latest in a series of administrative reshuffles ordered by the state government in recent months. With Bihar heading toward assembly elections, the government appears focused on positioning experienced and trusted officers in key roles to manage law and order, enforcement, and coordination during the critical pre-election period.
Analysts suggest these moves reflect the state’s strategy to strengthen district-level policing and maintain administrative stability in the lead-up to the polls.
