IPS officer Vivek Sahay was appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal on Monday, shortly after Rajeev Kumar's removal from the post by the Election Commission. The poll panel had asked the chief secretary of the state to provide a list of three eligible officers for Kumar's replacement by 5 pm today.
“The Governor is pleased to appoint Shri Vivek Sahay, IPS, Director General and Commandant General, Home Guards, West Bengal, to the post of Director General and Inspector of Police, West Bengal with immediate effect until further order. This appointment is made in the interest of public service,” the chief secretary of West Bengal wrote in a notice.
Also read: ‘BJP's reflection’: Trinamool Congress on EC removing West Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar
The Election Commission's move to remove Rajeev Kumar as the state DGP came days after it announced the Lok Sabha election dates. The step is considered a part of the commission's efforts to maintain a level playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
Who is Vivek Sahay?
Vivek Sahay is a 1988 batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre. He has previously served as the Director General (DG), Provisioning and the Director General of Home Guards. Sahay was also in charge of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's security, however, the Election Commission suspended him in March 2021 following an attack on the CM which caused her severe leg injuries. He was later reinstated to the post of Director of Security.
EC orders large-scale transfers of bureaucrats
{{/usCountry}}Vivek Sahay is a 1988 batch IPS officer of the West Bengal cadre. He has previously served as the Director General (DG), Provisioning and the Director General of Home Guards. Sahay was also in charge of chief minister Mamata Banerjee's security, however, the Election Commission suspended him in March 2021 following an attack on the CM which caused her severe leg injuries. He was later reinstated to the post of Director of Security.
EC orders large-scale transfers of bureaucrats
{{/usCountry}}Apart from the now former West Bengal DGP's removal, the Election Commission also ordered the removal of home secretaries of six states - Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, as well as the removal of Brihanmumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with additional commissioners and deputy commissioners. Along with this, secretaries of the general administrative departments in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed.