Mamata Banerjee reinstates top cop in 48 hours of win

Within two days of coming to power for the second consecutive time, Trinamul Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has removed Kolkata police commissioner Soumen Mitra and reinstated IPS officer Rajeev Kumar to the post.

A notification about the change of guard in the Kolkata police was issued from Nabanna, the state secretariat, on Saturday evening after the tenure of the model code of conduct of the Election Commission for the Assembly elections in the state ended.

On April 12, Mr Mitra was appointed the city police commissioner directly by the EC during the Assembly polls, after it removed Mr Kumar following complaints of bias by the Opposition parties over the botched sting attempt by two special branch cops who allegedly offered bribe to BJP national secretary Rahul Sinha at the state BJP headquarters on March 28 to facilitate cattle smuggling.

Significantly, Mr Kumar, who is known to be in the good books of Ms Banerjee, was appointed by her as the Kolkata police commissioner on January 29 on the eve of the Assembly polls.

After becoming the police commissioner, Mr Mitra, an additional director-general (ADG) rank IPS officer of 1988 batch of the West Bengal cadre, earned Ms Banerjee’s ire for acting tough during the Assembly polls in Kolkata.

Without taking Mr Mitra’s name, the Trinamul chief had then alleged excesses by some police officers and vowed to take action.

On the other hand, Mr Kumar, also an ADG rank IPS officer of 1989 batch of the West Bengal cadre who was posted as the chief of anti corruption branch (ACB) of the state government since his removal by the EC, is expected to assume the charge at Lalbazar, the city police headquarters, soon.

Incidentally Mr Mitra and Mr Kumar were seen at Ms Banerjee’s residence at Harish Chatterjee Street in Kalighat on May 19 after the announcement of the election results. According to sources, two senior bureaucrats of the state government were against the removal of Mr Mitra who is known for his warm and sympathetic approach towards the force.

But the Trinamul chief did not pay heed to their plea and wanted Mr Kumar to return to the Kolkata Police as its chief, sources revealed. Ram Phal Pawar, Mr Mitra’s batchmate, who is now posted as the ADG of the criminal investigation department will hold the additional charge of ADG (ACB).

Sources indicated that more heads, in the rank of deputy commissioners of police (DCP), is expected to roll in the city police in the coming days. Sources added one of them is Nagendra Nath Tripathy who is now posted as the DCP (II) of the detective department, who was caught slapping the owner of famous sweet shop: Nokur in north Kolkata.