In a significant development on December 27, 2023, the West Bengal government appointed Rajeev Kumar (IPS:1989:WB) as the State’s Director General of Police. A notification issued by the state home department confirmed Kumar’s appointment to the position of Director General and Inspector General of Police of West Bengal until further orders. He takes over from the retired Manoj Malaviya (IPS:1986:WB), who concluded his service on the same day.
Known for his proximity to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Rajeev Kumar has previously served as the Kolkata Police Commissioner, Bidhannagar Police Commissioner, and headed key departments such as the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Special Task Force (STF). Currently, he holds the position of the Principal Secretary in the department of information technology and electronics.
Rajeev Kumar gained national attention in February 2019 when the CBI attempted to question him in connection with an alleged chit-fund scam case. Chief Minister Banerjee staged a two-day dharna in protest, which concluded after the Supreme Court granted Kumar protection from arrest. The IPS officer later appeared before the CBI in June 2019.
The Saradha chit-fund scam, in which Kumar was implicated, involved an estimated Rs. 2,460 crore and affected depositors from West Bengal, Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh. Originating in 2012, the scam surfaced when depositors began filing police complaints.
Later in 2019, in a significant bureaucratic reshuffle, the West Bengal government posted Kumar as the state IT secretary.
