Anuj Sharma replaces Rajeev Kumar as Kolkata Police chief

In a major reshuffle, Additional Director General of West Bengal Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma on Tuesday took charge as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner.

He replaced Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rajeev Kumar, a statement issued by the state's Home and Hills Affairs Department said.

Rajeev Kumar took charge as the city police chief in May 2016. He was due for transfer ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in accordance with the Election Commission directive.

The poll panel's decision is in accordance with its rule that any officer who has completed three years in the same place cannot continue there if the person has to be tasked with election duties.

Among other officers in new roles are ADG Intelligence Bureau (IB), Siddh Nath Gupta, who has been appointed as ADG Law and Order; Special Commissioner of Kolkata Police Jayanta Kumar Basu became the new Director of the State Directorate of Economic Offences.

Also ADG South Bengal Niraj Kumar Singh became new ADG IB, replacing Gupta while IPS officer Vishal Garg took charge as Commissioner of Police (Howrah district).