The West Bengal government appointed Rajeev Kumar as the State’s Director General of Police on Wednesday. Mr. Kumar, a 1989 batch IPS officer was serving as the Principal Secretary, Department of Information Technology & Electronics. He will replace Manoj Malaviya who retired on December 27.
Mr. Kumar served as Commissioner of Kolkata Police from May 2016-February 2019. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee sat on a dharna in Kolkata when a team of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officers arrived at Mr. Kumar’s residence to quiz him in connection with the Saradha scam. Mr. Kumar led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the Saradha scam. The IPS officer appeared before the CBI in June 2019 in connection with the case.
The elevation of Mr. Kumar to the highest post in the West Bengal police evoked strong reactions from political circles. Not only did Opposition leaders comment but so did Trinamool Congress personalities.
Trinamool Congress spokesperson Kunal Ghosh who was arrested by the SIT headed by Mr. Kumar welcomed the development but added a bit of sarcasm.
“He is a good officer. But he should make sure that no innocent person like me is made to suffer on the directions of someone else,” Mr. Ghosh said. The former Rajya Sabha MP was arrested by the West Bengal SIT in connection with the Saradha scam. Hundreds of depositors lost their deposits in the “Saradha ponzi scam”.
Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said he would be urging the CBI to reopen the case against Mr. Kumar which is pending before the Supreme Court. “If the CBI doesn’t then people of the State will approach the Supreme Court,” the BJP leader said. The CPI(M) leadership in West Bengal has alleged that the Chief Minister was trying to return the favour because Mr. Kumar “shielded her from investigation in the Saradha scam”.
