Following the instruction of the Election Commission of India (ECI), the West Bengal government on March 18 appointed Vivek Sahay as the new DGP of the State..
The appointment was made within hours after the poll panel removed Rajeev Kumar as the director general of police (DGP).
Mr. Sahay, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was the Director General and Commandant General (Home Guards).
Earlier, the poll panel has ordered the transfer of the West Bengal DG&IGP to a non-election related post.
In a direction sent to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, the country’s poll body has ordered immediate transfer of Rajeev Kumar, IPS, the current Director General & Inspector General of Police, West Bengal. The directive also sought to hand over his duties to the next senior officer in the Police Headquarters till- the position is filled.
The step is a part of the commission’s efforts to maintain a level-playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar on several occasions.
The move comes after the commission comprising CEC and fellow Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu met in New Delhi on March 18, 2024.
(With inputs from PTI)