In one of the largest single-day administrative exercises in recent West Bengal police history, the state government on Monday transferred 179 IPS and West Bengal Police Service (WBPS) officers.
The notification, issued by the Home & Hill Affairs Department (No. 916-P.S. Cell), carries the signature of Senior Special Secretary Jitendra Roy, IAS. It combines routine postings with promotions for several officers, particularly from the DIG and SP ranks.
The order has drawn attention because of its scale and timing — coming roughly a month after the formation of the new state government. While official statements describe it as a regular exercise to strengthen administration and law and order, the large number of officers affected points to a significant restructuring of the police leadership.
Key Changes at the Top
Several important positions have seen fresh appointments. Rajesh Kumar Yadav, previously IGP Bankura Range, has been posted as IGP STF. Gaurav Sharma, who was heading Traffic, has also been moved to IGP STF.
In the Intelligence Bureau, Murli Dhar has been appointed IGP IB, while Ranendra Nath Banerjee has also been posted to the IB as IGP. Shankha Shubhra Chakrabarty moves to IGP Home Guard from his earlier charge of CID and Cyber Cell.
Kolkata Police has witnessed multiple changes at the Joint Commissioner and Additional Commissioner levels. Dip Narayan Goswami has been posted as Additional CP, while Kunal Aggarwal takes charge as Additional CP (Crime). Several Deputy Commissioners have also been reshuffled across divisions.
Promotions to the IGP rank include Songmit Lepcha (IGP AP North Bengal), Mehmood Akhtar (IGP Traffic), Ajay Kumar Thakur (IGP CID), Soma Das Mitra (IGP Policy), and Krishnakali Lahiri (IGP CCW). Syed Waquar Raza has been upgraded as CP, Siliguri Police Commissionerate in the rank of IGP.
Widespread Movement Across Districts and Units
The order is not limited to senior ranks. It spans the entire hierarchy — from IGPs and DIGs to SPs, Additional SPs, SDPOs, and ASPs. Districts such as Birbhum, Diamond Harbour, Jalpaiguri, Purulia, Bankura, and Howrah Rural have seen changes in SP-level leadership. Several officers previously posted in Kolkata Police have been moved to districts, and vice versa.
Specialised units have also been affected. The STF, IB, CID, Coastal Security, ACB, FSL, and Training branches have received new officers at various levels. Many WBPS officers have also been included in the transfer list, particularly at the Additional SP and SP ranks.
Context and Implications
Police observers note that such large-scale combined transfer-promotion orders are occasionally issued when a new government seeks to align the police leadership with its administrative priorities. The inclusion of promotions for several officers suggests that pending career progression cases have also been addressed alongside the postings.
The notification states that the appointments have been made “in the interest of public service” and will take effect from the date officers assume charge.
While the official order does not spell out any specific operational directive, the breadth of the reshuffle — covering almost every range, commissionerate, and specialised wing — indicates an attempt to refresh the command structure across the state.
On social media, journalists have described it as a “major reshuffle.”
The full list of 179 officers, along with their present and new postings, has been circulated to all concerned departments and district authorities for immediate implementation.
