In the wake of the conclusion of the Lok Sabha elections, the West Bengal government has initiated a significant reshuffle within its IPS cadre, as announced by an official on Tuesday.
Among the notable appointments, 2011 batch IPS officer Koteswara Rao has been designated as the Superintendent of Police (SP) for the Sunderban Police District, marking a key change in leadership.
This reshuffle comes after several IPS officers were transferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the electoral process.
2012 batch IPS officer Saumya Roy has been appointed as the Deputy Commissioner (DC) South-West of the Kolkata Police, transitioning from the role of Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) holding charge as Joint Commissioner of Police (I) Special Branch Kolkata Police.
Furthermore, Avijit Banerjee, a 2013 batch IPS officer, has been named as the SP of Purulia district, while Dhritiman Sarkar has been appointed as the SP of Paschim Medinipur district. Rahul De is set to assume the role of DC Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police.
2015 batch IPS officer Aashish Maurya who is former SP of Purulia, has been reassigned as the DC West Zone of Asansol-Durgapur Police District. Additionally, Sonawane Kuldip Suresh has been designated as the DC (Central) of Barrackpore Police District, transitioning from the role of SP Paschim Medinipur.
The reinstatement of several IPS officers, who were removed by the Election Commission and assigned to non-poll-related posts, has been a significant move by the Bengal government. Notably, Dhritiman Sarkar, previously SP of West Midnapore and temporarily posted as Superintendent of Police of Intelligence Branch (IB) following the EC’s directive, has been reinstated to his former position.
The reinstatement and reassignments underscore the government’s efforts to streamline administrative functions post-election and ensure effective law enforcement across various districts of West Bengal.
