11 IPS officers reinstated in West Bengal

Kolkata, May 27: Soon after the Election Commission (EC) lifted the model code of conduct, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday reinstated 11 IPS officers, including Rajeev Kumar, to their old posts.

Kumar, who was removed by the poll body from the post of Additional Director General of West Bengal CID, was reinstated by an order issued by the state home and hill affairs department.

Kumar was embroiled into a controversy in the Saradha chit fund scam. He was relieved from his duty by the EC following violence in the city during BJP president Amit Shah's roadshow.

According to the order issued by the state government, Rajesh Kumar, who was made the Kolkata Police Commissioner by an EC directive, was sent on "waiting for posting order", while his predecessor Anuj Sharma was named in his place.

The EC had ordered the transfer of Sharma from the post of Kolkata Police Commissioner to the position of ADGP and IGP (Operations) of the state police.

Natarajan Ramesh Babu, who was appointed the Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police by the EC, was transferred from the post and sent on "waiting for posting order".

Gyanwant Singh, the earlier Bidhannagar police commissioner, who was transferred by the EC as Director of the Directorate of Economic Offences, was brought back to his old post, the order stated.

Devendra Prakash Singh, the DIG Midnapore Range, was named as the new Commissioner of Police of Barrackpore Police in place of Sunil Kumar Choudhary.

Choudhary, who was made the CP of Barrackpore Police by the Commission, was send on "waiting for posting order".

Shyam Singh was reinstated as the Superintendent of Police of Birbhum in place of Avvaru Ravindranath, who was made the new DC, Zone II (airport division) under the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate.

Amit Kumar Singh who was appointed as the Superintendent of Police of Coochbehar district by the EC was transferred by the state government and put on "waiting for posting order".

Abhishek Gupta, the Commanding Officer (CO) of Specialised India Reserve Battalions (SIRB) was appointed the new Superintendent of police of Coochbehar district, the order said.

The model code of conduct, which came into force on March 10 when the Lok Sabha election was announced, ceased to be in existence, the Election Commission said on Sunday.

In an instruction to the cabinet secretary and chief secretaries of state governments, the commission said the model code has been lifted with immediate effect.