India
Following the near indictment of Rajeev Kumar by CBI in Bengal's chit fund scam cases, continuing in the position of police commissioner had become untenable fot him. However, chief minister Mamata Banerjee seems to have rewarded him for his loyalty, by promoting him to the rank of a DGP.
Kolkata/New Delhi: Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar, who has been in the eye of a storm since the CBI sought to probe his handling of Mamata Banerjee government's alleged Ponzi scams, is now removed from the high-profile post. He has been posted as am additional director general of police (ADG) and inspector general of police (IGP) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Bengal.
Anuj Sharma, who was the ADG & IGP (law and order) has now been appointed as the new Kolkata police commissioner.
Kumar was made the Kolkata CP in May 2016. He would have completed his three-year tenure soon.
Kumar's new appointment letter, in posession of MyNation, states that the transfer will come into "effect from the date of assuming the charges until further orders". The order was signed by the Bengal IGP of personnel Harikishore Kusumakar.
This change of guard took place after a directive from the Election Commission (EC).
Kumar isn't new to controversies. The EC's displeasure with Kumar isn't new either. It ordered the Bengal government to replace him during the Assembly election after complaints poured in against the top cop from BJP and Congress leaders, alleging that the officer was tapping their phones at the behest of the ruling TMC. He was, however, reinstated once the TMC retained power following the 2016 state election.
Recently, CBI sleuths went to question Kumar in Kolkata only to be detained by Kolkata Police for hours, creating a "constitutional crisis" (Union home minister Rajnath Singh's words). Mamata Banerjee cried foul and held an emergency meeting at Kumar's residence before she stepped out and announced her decision to sit on a dharna against the 'CBI raids'.
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