West Bengal Transfers 28 IPS and 5 WBPS Officers in Major Police Reshuffle; N.R. Babu Appointed CID Chief, Bidhannagar Gets New Commissioner
The West Bengal government has carried out another major overhaul of the state’s police administration, transferring 28 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and five officers of the West Bengal Police Service (WBPS) in a wide-ranging reshuffle affecting senior leadership across the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Intelligence, Special Task Force (STF), Traffic, Kolkata Police, Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate and several district police units.
The exercise, involving a total of 33 officers, is the second major police reshuffle undertaken since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government assumed office in May 2026. According to the official notification, the transfers are intended to strengthen policing, improve administrative efficiency and ensure effective deployment of senior officers across critical law enforcement assignments.
Among the most significant decisions are the appointment of N.R. Babu as the new head of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the replacement of the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner, changes in the leadership of the Special Task Force (STF) and fresh postings across district police units.
Major Administrative Reorganisation Across the Police Force
The latest transfer exercise covers almost every major wing of the West Bengal Police.
The reshuffle affects senior positions in:
Criminal Investigation Department (CID)
Directorate of Economic Offences (DEO)
Intelligence and Telecommunications
Special Task Force (STF)
Home Guards
Traffic and Road Safety
Kolkata Police
Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate
North Bengal Range
Multiple district police units
Officials described the exercise as a routine administrative measure designed to improve operational effectiveness and strengthen leadership across the state’s policing network.
N.R. Babu Takes Charge as CID Chief
One of the most important appointments approved by the state government is that of senior IPS officer N.R. Babu.
Previously serving as Director General of Correctional Services, Babu has now been appointed Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP), Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
In addition to leading the CID, he will continue to hold the additional charge of the Correctional Services Department.
The Criminal Investigation Department is one of the state’s most important investigative agencies, responsible for handling complex criminal investigations, organised crime cases and specialised investigations transferred from district police units.
Babu’s appointment places an experienced officer at the helm of one of West Bengal’s premier investigative organisations.
Supratim Sarkar Shifted to Telecommunications
The reshuffle also brings a new assignment for senior IPS officer Supratim Sarkar.
He was serving as Additional Director General, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and has now been transferred as Additional Director General, Telecommunications.
Sarkar has previously held several important policing assignments.
He had also served as the Commissioner of Kolkata Police before being transferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections conducted in April this year.
His latest posting places him in charge of police telecommunications and communication infrastructure, an increasingly important component of modern policing.
Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate Gets New Leadership
The state government has also made a significant leadership change in the Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, one of the busiest urban policing jurisdictions adjoining Kolkata.
Tripurari Atharv, who was serving as Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police, has been transferred as Additional Director General (Traffic and Road Safety).
Taking over as the new Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate is Rathore Amitkumar Bharat, also known as Amit Kumar Rathod.
Prior to this appointment, he was serving as Deputy Inspector General (DIG), Raiganj Range.
His new assignment places him in charge of policing one of the state’s rapidly developing urban regions, which includes major residential, commercial and information technology hubs.
K. Jayaraman Posted as Director, Directorate of Economic Offences
Another important transfer involves senior IPS officer K. Jayaraman (IPS:1997).
He has been moved from the post of Additional Director General and Inspector General, North Bengal to become the Director of the Directorate of Economic Offences (DEO).
The Directorate of Economic Offences investigates financial crimes, economic frauds and other specialised offences involving financial irregularities.
Jayaraman has also recently been entrusted with an important responsibility outside conventional policing.
He was appointed Member Secretary of one of the judicial commissions constituted by the state government to examine allegations of institutional corruption during the previous Trinamool Congress administration.
Changes in STF, Home Guards and North Bengal
The latest reshuffle also affects several specialised police units.
Praveen Kumar Tripathi, who had been serving as Inspector General of Police, Special Task Force (STF), has now been appointed Inspector General of Home Guards.
Meanwhile, Sukesh Kumar Jain, who was serving as Inspector General, Criminal Investigation and Coordination Wing (CCW), has been transferred as Inspector General, North Bengal Range.
Within Kolkata Police, V.S.R. Anantanag, currently serving as Joint Commissioner (Administration), has been entrusted with the additional responsibility of Joint Commissioner, Special Task Force (STF).
At the same time, Dinesh Kumar, who was serving as Joint Commissioner, STF, has been posted as Deputy Inspector General, Barasat Range, while also continuing to hold additional charge as DIG, STF.
These appointments reflect the government’s effort to strengthen leadership across specialised policing units dealing with organised crime, security and intelligence-related operations.
District Police Leadership Also Restructured
The reshuffle extends beyond headquarters and commissionerates to district police leadership.
Among the important district-level changes:
Yelwar Srikant Jagannathrao, previously serving as Deputy Commissioner, Kolkata Police, has been appointed Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling.
Replacing him, Pratiksha Jharkharia, who had been serving as SP, Darjeeling, has been transferred as Deputy Commissioner, Kolkata Armed Police (KAP), 1st Battalion.
Apart from these appointments, the government has also transferred several officers serving as:
Inspectors General (IGs)
Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs)
Joint Commissioners of Police (JCPs)
Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs)
Superintendents of Police (SPs)
Additional Superintendents of Police (Addl. SPs)
The reshuffle spans both metropolitan policing units and district police organisations.
Second Major Police Reshuffle Since New Government Took Office
This is the second large-scale administrative exercise undertaken by the BJP-led government after assuming office in May 2026.
Earlier, on June 8, the state government had transferred nearly 170 IPS and WBPS officers, making it one of the most extensive police reshuffles witnessed in West Bengal in recent years.
The latest transfer exercise continues the government’s efforts to reorganise police leadership across the state.
Soon after taking office, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari had also announced the constitution of two judicial commissions, headed by retired judges of the Calcutta High Court, to investigate allegations of institutional corruption and crimes against women during the tenure of the previous government.
Against that backdrop, the continuing administrative changes are being viewed as part of a broader effort to restructure governance and law enforcement mechanisms.
Government Calls It a Routine Administrative Exercise
Responding to questions regarding the reshuffle, a senior official in the Home Department described the exercise as a routine administrative measure undertaken in the public interest.
According to the official, the objective is to improve administrative efficiency, accelerate official work and further strengthen policing across the state.
The officer also indicated that all transferred officials have been instructed to assume charge of their new assignments at the earliest to ensure a smooth transition.
Strengthening Policing Across West Bengal
With the transfer of 33 senior police officers, including 28 IPS and five WBPS officers, the West Bengal government has once again undertaken a substantial restructuring of the state’s police leadership. The appointments span virtually every major policing vertical – from criminal investigations and economic offences to traffic management, intelligence, district policing and specialised operational units.
The elevation of N.R. Babu as the new CID chief, the appointment of a new Bidhannagar Police Commissioner, leadership changes in the STF and district police, and fresh assignments across headquarters reflect the government’s continuing emphasis on administrative realignment and operational efficiency. As the newly transferred officers assume their responsibilities, the reshuffle is expected to shape policing priorities and law enforcement strategies across West Bengal in the months ahead.
