New Delhi: After reviewing poll preparedness, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday ordered the removal of West Bengal’s Director General of Police (DGP) Rajiv Kumar and home secretaries of six states — Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
“Rajeev Kumar, IPS, Director General & Inspector General of Police, West Bengal, be shifted to a non-election related post with immediate effect. The charge of Rajeev Kumar be given to the next senior officer in the Police Headquarters till posting of new Director General & Inspector General of Police, West Bengal,” the order said.
Vivek Sahay, a 1988-batch IPS officer, replaced Kumar as DGP of West Bengal.
The poll panel had asked the state’s chief secretary to provide a list of three eligible officers as Kumar’s replacement by 5 pm.
According to reports, the decisions were part of the ECI’s efforts to ensure free and fair polls while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process across various states during the Parliamentary elections beginning April 19.
The top cop is considered close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
In 2019, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) accused Kumar of suppressing and destroying evidence in the investigation of Saradha scam while leading a SIT set up by the state government to probe the matter. Following the CBI’s accusation and its search of Kumar’s house in February 2019 over the accusation in the Saradha scam, Mamata Banerjee sat on a two-day dharna. She called off the demonstration after the Supreme Court granted him protection from arrest by the central agency.
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