Bengal Gets New Police Chief After Election Commission Removes Top Cop

Vivek Sahay, an IPS officer of 1988 batch, has been appointed as the police chief of Bengal after the Election Commission removed the state Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar. Mr Sahay was the chief of the Home Guards in the state.

The removal came after a meeting between Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and his two newly-appointed associates, Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

Bengal has seen several instances of poll-related violence in recent years. The step is part of the poll panel's commitment to ensure a level playing field for all political parties in the coming Lok Sabha elections, which begin on April 19.

The top poll body has also removed Home Secretaries and top bureaucrats from a handful of states including Gujarat, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh.