Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) took swift action on Tuesday, appointing IPS officer Sanjay Mukherjee as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal.
The move came after the removal of Rajeev Kumar from the post. The poll panel directed the state’s chief secretary to ensure immediate compliance and confirm Mukherjee’s appointment by 5 pm the same day.
This decision comes after the Election Commission had appointed IPS officer Vivek Sahay as the next DGP based on seniority. However, due to Sahay’s impending retirement in May before the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election, the commission opted for Mukherjee for the role, as reported by news agency PTI citing a senior official.
Sanjay Mukherjee, a 1989 batch IPS officer, previously served as the Director of Security of the West Bengal police and held the rank of additional director general of police (ADG). In 2017, he was appointed as the head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
In addition to the DGP’s removal in West Bengal, the Election Commission ordered the removal of home secretaries from six states — Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
The commission also directed the removal of Brihanmumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with additional commissioners, deputy commissioners and secretaries of general administrative departments in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.
These decisions were made following a meeting of commissioners led by chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar on Monday morning.
The actions to remove and transfer bureaucrats are viewed as part of the commission’s efforts to ensure a level playing field and maintain the integrity of the electoral process, particularly in the context of the upcoming Lok Sabha election.
Did you know The Theorist also has a WhatsApp channel? Click here to follow us on WhatsApp
Read all the World News, Business News, Sports News, Entertainment News, Business News and Opinion here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
