Kolkata Police seeks return of 82 officers sent to ‘punishment postings’ after 2016 Bengal polls under Mamata regime
The Statesman | 26 May 2026
Nearly a decade after dozens of Kolkata Police personnel were transferred out of the city by the previous Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government following the 2016 West Bengal Assembly elections, the process to bring them back into the force has now formally begun. The move comes amid mounting manpower shortages within Kolkata Police and is being seen as a significant administrative reversal linked to one of the most politically sensitive phases in the state’s policing history.
According to reports, Kolkata Police Commissioner Ajay Nand has initiated the process to recall 82 junior-level officers who were moved to district postings in 2016 after they allegedly followed Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines during the Assembly elections instead of informal directions reportedly issued by ruling party functionaries at the time.
Officials said Ajay Nand has already written to the state home department seeking approval to reinstate the officers within Kolkata Police. Alongside the recall proposal, he has also requested the temporary transfer of personnel from the state police to address the immediate staff shortage until fresh recruitment processes are completed.
Reports indicated that the proposal is currently awaiting clearance from the home department.
None of the 82 officers shifted out in 2016 had been brought back to Kolkata Police over the last decade, as per reports. At that time, the city police were headed by Rajeev Kumar, who is now a Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member and former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
An earlier attempt to bring the officers back was reportedly made in January 2024 by then Kolkata Police Commissioner after the inclusion of the Bhangar Division under Kolkata Police jurisdiction. However, that proposal did not receive approval from higher authorities.