IPS officer Rajeev Kumar was given charge of the post of director-general of Bengal police on the retirement of incumbent Manoj Malviya on Wednesday.

A formal order issued by the state home department said Kumar, a 1989-batch IPS officer of the Bengal cadre who is now principal secretary in the state government’s department of information technology and electronics, would hold charge of the post of DGP, Bengal.

According to the rule, the state has to send names and details of the DG-ranked officers of the state to the UPSC, from where it would select three officers and send them back to the state. The state has the liberty to appoint any one of the three as the next DGP.

“Till the time this process is over, the state can give the charge to any officer of
the rank of DG,” said an official of the state home department.

It is not clear if the state has already sent the list of officers to the UPSC for the shortlisting.

A senior bureaucrat said the same process was followed during the retirement of former DGP Virendra. Manoj Malviya was then given “charge” of the post till the process of appointment of the DGP was completed.

However, many senior officials expressed their doubts if the UPSC would at all recommend Kumar’s name among the top three.

“There is a case pending against him with a central agency,” said a retired bureaucrat.

Kumar, who has hit the headlines several times in his career, has served in significant posts like the Calcutta police commissioner, additional director-general of police (CID), Bidhannagar police commissioner, additional commissioner of Calcutta police, joint commissioner (special task force), deputy inspector-general, CID (operations), special superintendent of police, CID, and deputy commissioner (central division) in Calcutta police.

Kumar, 57, was caught in a web of controversy during his stint as Calcutta police commissioner in 2019, when the CBI named him in a document submitted to court where he was accused of charges like “tampering with evidence”, “suppression of facts”, “corruption” and alleged nexus with “political party” in connection with the probe into default scams like Saradha.

The move from the central agency came after its personnel failed to force enter the residence of then city police commissioner Kumar. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee had started a sit-in protest at Esplanade against the CBI move.

Kumar had to take anticipatory bail from Calcutta High Court later.

Kumar, known for his passion for technology, took a “break” from conventional police postings and worked as the principal secretary, a post usually given to IAS officers. Some felt this was a deliberate attempt to “lie low” and avert the glare of the central investigating agencies.

Kumar, who is due to retire in 2026, will again don his uniform and officiate as the new DGP from Thursday.

Another government order was issued on Wednesday that announced Malviya has been appointed as the state police adviser for three years with effect from Thursday.