Virendra appointed new DG of West Bengal police

Kolkata: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has appointed senior IPS officer Virendra as the next director-general (DG) of the West Bengal police. He will replace IPS officer Surajit Kar Purkayastha whose extended tenure for two years ends on May 31 this year.

Both of them are from the 1985-batch of the West Bengal cadre. In June of 2016 the Trinamul Congress government extended Mr Purkayastha’s tenure as the state police chief till May 31 this year citing an order from the Supreme Court. He was set to retire on December 31 in 2016.

At present Mr Virendra is posted as the DG (Security) with a prime task of making full-proof protection to Ms Banerjee since the Trinamool supremo became the chief minister in 2011. He has been in the good book of the chief minister since when he was posted in the railway protection force on central deputation while she was the railway minister, sources claimed.

To become the top cop of the state police force he has however superseded three seniors who have been posted as DGs of different wings in the state at present.

They are 1982-batch IPS officer Raj Kanojia, now DG (Home Guards), 1983-batch IPS officer Durga Pada Tarenia, now DG (State Crime Records Bureau), Chilumuri Venkata Muralidhar, advisor (Security & Vigilance) in rank of DG in the state-run West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd.

After his tenure ends as the DG, Mr Purkayastha will serve as the security advisor to the state government, according to sources adding that Siddh Nath Gupta, who is the director (security) in rank of additional DG, will act as the head of the special wing of the state police.

Before leaving for Karnataka to attend the oath taking ceremony Ms Banerjee trained guns on the Modi government Ms Banerjee on Tuesday accusing the BJP of exercising political influence in the recruitment of the IAS and IPS officers.

At the state secretariat: Nabanna she alleged, “What I have just come to know is very dangerous about the recruitment in the civil services. The candidates used to come through the merit list. Now if you count them physically to be IAS and IPS officers just because of some particular corner’s recommendation then dont you think its a constitutional crisis? What should be the wayout?” Referring to Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto’s call for secularism through prayers the chief minister mentioned, “We respect all archbishops all over the country. Whatever they have said is correct. It is a plan.”