Out of the four candidates the Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced for the Rajya Sabha elections, the most surprising is the name of former IPS officer Rajiv Kumar (IPS:1989:WB). A known Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee loyalist, Kumar retired from the post of DGP on January 31 this year.
Five seats from West Bengal are falling vacant in the Rajya Sabha, elections for which are to be held on March 16.
Besides Rajiv Kumar, Minister of State Babul Supriyo, senior Supreme Court advocate Menaka Guruswamy, and actress Koel Mallick have been given tickets.
An IIT Roorkee alumnus, Kumar has been an upright police officer who did not defy his master’s orders, for which he is often criticized. He played a crucial role in major controversies that dogged Bengal’s politics and administration. He headed the investigation as the Special Task Force (STF) chief in the Saradha chit fund scam that surfaced in 2013 and played a key role in the arrest of the main accused, Sudipta Sen. The case was later transferred to the CBI.
Kumar’s proximity to CM Banerjee came to the public domain when, in 2019, just before the Lok Sabha elections, the CBI raided his home in connection with the Saradha scam. CM Mamata Banerjee staged a sit-in protest at Kolkata’s Esplanade, which made national headlines. This unprecedented 70-hour sit-in was ended only after the Supreme Court stayed Kumar’s arrest and directed him to cooperate with the investigation. During that period, it was believed within the TMC that Rajeev Kumar served as an “institutional shield” for the government and the Chief Minister.
But the loyalty part is overemphasized if a retired police officer is to be believed. According to him, Rajiv Kumar played a key role in the anti-terrorism cell, and his expertise in electronic surveillance was renowned throughout the country.
While in the Kolkata Police Special Task Force, he helped apprehend terrorists, bust counterfeit currency rackets, and played a key role in the arrest of major criminals like Aftab Ansari.
Kumar is also known for playing a key role in anti-Maoist operations in the state.
It is widely believed that the Bengal CM has chosen Kumar to put across a political message that the TMC does not forget officers who stand by CM Mamata Banerjee during times of crisis. The timing of this messaging is crucial, as Bengal is going to assembly polls within months.
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