The state government on Tuesday transferred several senior police officers across districts in what is being seen as an attempt to curb lawlessness in certain pockets and stop factional feuds within Trinamul.
As many as 17 officers have been transferred, the biggest shunt in recent times, said a source.
One of the significant transfers was that of Avijit Banerjee, the Diamond Harbour superintendent of police, who has been shifted to Ranaghat, the source said.
Banerjee has been replaced by Dhritiman Sarkar, who was the superintendent of police of Bankura.
While senior officials in the home department termed the transfers “routine”, insiders in Nabanna said Sarkar had been specifically tasked with firmly handling the alleged infighting within the ruling party in the backyard of Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamul’s general secretary and Diamond Harbour MP.
In another change, the home department shifted Pradeep Kumar Yadav from the CID to Malda, where he will take over as police superintendent.
Senior Trinamul leaders of Malda have alleged that the party was ridden with faction feuds. According to several leaders, there are two prominent factions - one is led by former state minister and state secretary Krishnendu Narayan Chowdhury and Rajya Sabha member and former district Trinamul president Mausam Benazir Noor, and the other by Sabina Yeasmin, a junior state minister.
“Officers have been selected for specific posts on the basis of their records and their ability to handle law and order,” said a senior official in the home department.
Senior officers in the state police said several officers of the rank of additional superintendent of police have been transferred and given tougher responsibilities.
Shraddha N. Pandey, an officer on special duty in the office of the police superintendent of Purba Medinipur, has been transferred to Haldia as additional SP.
Pushpa has been transferred to Baruipur from Kharagpur as the head of its police district. Her rank will be that of police superintendent.
Changes in Kolkata, Bidhannagar
The deputy commissioner (special) of the detective department of Kolkata police has been transferred to Bidhannagar police commissionerate on Tuesday.
Debasmita Das, an IPS officer of the 2009 batch, who had earlier served Kolkata police as deputy commissioner of the south-east division, will join the Bidhannagar police as deputy commissioner, headquarters, according to a notification issued by the state home department on Tuesday.
“Das’s transfer comes along with that of 16 other officers of various ranks. This is a routine exercise,” said a senior official of the home department.
Surya Pratap Yadav will replace Das as deputy commissioner (special) of the detective department.
Praween Prakash will be Kolkata police’s new deputy commissioner, cyber crime. He was earlier in the Chandernagore police commissionerate. Senior officers said the state government wanted a dedicated IPS officer to head the cyber crime wing of the city police.
Until now, an IPS officer used to oversee the cyber crime wing as an additional responsibility.
“Given the rise in cyber crime cases across Kolkata, it was imperative to have a senior IPS officer dedicated to handle such activities,” said a senior officer of Kolkata police.
Among the officers who were transferred was Rajesh Kumar Yadav. The inspector general of police with the Special Task Force of Bengal has been transferred to Kolkata police as additional police commissioner (III).
Vaibhav Tiwari, superintendent of police, Baruipur, on the southern fringes of Kolkata, has been transferred to Bankura as police superintendent.