Vivek Sahay (IPS: 1988: WB) has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) for West Bengal replacing Rajeev Kumar (IPS: 1989: WB). The appointment was made within hours after the poll panel removed Rajeev Kumar as DGP. Sahay was the Director General and Commandant General (Home Guards).
In 2021, the EC had suspended Sahay, then acting director of security for Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. The decision to shift Rajeev Kumar was taken as he was removed earlier too from active election management-related duty during the 2016 assembly election in Bengal and in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The EC has asked the state chief secretary to post Rajeev Kumar to a “non-election” related assignment, and, as an interim arrangement, post an officer immediately junior to him as DGP.