EC removes Kolkata Police Chief Rajeev Kumar

12 April, Kolkata

Election Commission has removed Rajeev Kumar from the post of Kolkata Police Commissioner. Information received this evening from the State Secretariat at Howrah, Nabanna, said that Kumar has been removed from the post under a directive of the Election Commission. He has been replaced with Soumen Mitra, ADG & IGP of the State CID.

Alleging that Kumar was working with a partisan approach towards the ruling Trinamul Congress, the State units of BJP and Congress had moved the Election Commission demanding his removal in the last week of March. BJP leader and Assembly candidate from Jorasanku in Kolkata, Rahul Sinha welcomed the decision terming it a bit late but a correct one.

CPI-M MP, Mohammad Salim has also welcomed the EC move. Ruling TMC vice president Mukul Roy said, let the EC do whatever it does, the people are with TMC and the party will be voted back to power.

Kumar had taken over as the chief of Kolkata Police on February 3rd this year following reshuffle of IPS officers in the State by chief minister, Mamata Banerjee on 29th January.