Kolkata: The process to select the next Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal is set to gather pace, with the state government likely to forward the names of six senior IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The incumbent DGP, Siddh Nath Gupta, a 1992-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer, is due to retire on October 31, 2026, according to the information available for the current selection process.
The six names reportedly under consideration are 1991-batch IPS officers Natarajan Ramesh Babu and Anuj Sharma, along with four 1993-batch officers — Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar.
The UPSC will consider the names forwarded by the state and prepare a panel from which the state government will make the final selection. Reports on the current process indicate that the six officers are being considered for inclusion in the panel.
Natarajan Ramesh Babu
Natarajan Ramesh Babu is a 1991-batch direct-recruit IPS officer from the West Bengal cadre. According to the official IPS civil list, he is a Tamil Nadu native and holds an MA degree. He was inducted into the IPS in September 1991 and was promoted to the DGP-level post in November 2023.
He has held several important assignments in West Bengal, including senior responsibilities in traffic, economic offences and telecommunications.
The West Bengal Police currently lists him as DG & IGP, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), with additional charge of DG, Correctional Services.
His career also includes a Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
Reports on the current DGP selection process have placed his name prominently among the officers being considered. Some reports have described him as a possible frontrunner, particularly in the event that Praveen Kumar continues on central deputation. That remains a reported assessment rather than a decision on the appointment.
Anuj Sharma
Another 1991-batch officer in contention is Anuj Sharma.
Born on March 27, 1968, in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Sharma studied at La Martiniere College before completing his BA, MA in Economics and MBA.
During his career, he has held several major policing assignments in West Bengal. He served as Inspector General of Police in North Bengal during the Gorkha unrest and later held the post of ADG Law and Order.
He also served as the Commissioner of Police, Kolkata, and subsequently headed the West Bengal Armed Police and Fire & Emergency Services.
The current West Bengal Police posting list records him as DG, Fire & Emergency Services.
Sharma has been awarded both the Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
His name has figured in earlier rounds of discussion over the regular DGP appointment as well.
Four 1993-Batch IPS Officers Also Under Consideration
Four officers from the 1993 batch are also reportedly being considered for the UPSC panel — Peeyush Pandey, Praveen Kumar, Gyanwant Singh and Ajoy Kumar.
Peeyush Pandey
Peeyush Pandey is a 1993-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh. The official IPS civil list records his educational qualification as M.Tech and his date of induction into the service as September 1994. He has held several senior assignments in West Bengal, including responsibilities in security and crime records.
Pandey was appointed acting DGP of West Bengal in January 2026 following the retirement of Rajeev Kumar. He held the charge until the Election Commission subsequently appointed Siddh Nath Gupta as DGP in-charge in March.
He is currently Director, Security, West Bengal, in the rank of DGP, according to the state police’s latest posting list.
Pandey has been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
Praveen Kumar
Praveen Kumar, another 1993-batch IPS officer, is currently serving on central deputation. The official IPS civil list records him as a Bihar native, with a B.Tech qualification, and shows him on central deputation since June 2022.
Kumar has held important national-security assignments, including senior positions in the Intelligence Bureau. He subsequently served as Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police and is currently Director General of the Border Security Force.
His experience includes border management, internal security and anti-smuggling operations. He has also been awarded the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
His availability for a return to the West Bengal cadre could therefore be an important factor in the eventual selection process. Reports covering the present exercise have specifically mentioned his central posting while discussing the six names.
Gyanwant Singh
Gyanwant Singh is a 1993-batch West Bengal cadre IPS officer from Uttar Pradesh. The official IPS civil list records him as a B.Sc graduate who joined the service in September 1993.
He has spent much of his career in important West Bengal Police assignments and has handled senior responsibilities involving intelligence and internal security.
The state’s current IPS posting list records him as ADG & IGP, Intelligence Branch, West Bengal.
With more than three decades in the police service, Singh brings extensive experience in intelligence and state-level policing to the group of officers under consideration.
Ajoy Kumar
Ajoy Kumar, also from the 1993 batch, is another senior West Bengal cadre IPS officer being considered.
According to the official IPS civil list, Kumar is a Uttar Pradesh native, holds a B.Tech degree and joined the IPS in September 1993.
The West Bengal Police currently lists him as ADG & IGP (Headquarters).
He has served in several senior administrative and operational positions within the West Bengal Police and remains part of the state’s senior leadership structure.
UPSC Panel Will Precede Final State Decision
The present exercise is not a direct appointment of any of the six officers. The state government’s proposed list is expected to go to the UPSC, which will assess the eligible officers and return a panel to the state.
The final appointment will therefore depend on the formal empanelment process and subsequent decision by the state government.
The process follows an earlier period of changes at the top of the West Bengal Police. In March 2026, the Election Commission appointed Siddh Nath Gupta as DGP in-charge, replacing Peeyush Pandey, while Natarajan Ramesh Babu was moved to Correctional Services at that stage.
The West Bengal Police’s latest official posting information now lists Gupta as DG & IGP, while Ramesh Babu is heading CID and Peeyush Pandey is Director, Security, in the rank of DGP.
With Gupta’s retirement approaching, the next phase will be the forwarding of the eligible names to the UPSC and the subsequent preparation of the panel for the state’s consideration.
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