Anuj Sharma is Kolkata Police chief

Kolkata, Feb 19 (IANS) In a major reshuffle, Additional Director General of West Bengal Police (Law and Order) Anuj Sharma on Tuesday took charge as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner.

He replaced Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rajeev Kumar, a statement issued by the state's Home and Hills Affairs Department said.

Kumar, who had taken charge as the city police chief in May 2016, was interrogated by the CBI earlier in February in the Meghalaya capital Shillong in relation to the Saradha chit fund scam.

Due for transfer ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, in accordance with the Election Commission directive, Kumar was made Additional Director General (ADG) of the State CID Department.

The poll panel's decision is in accordance with its rule that any officer who has completed three years in the same place cannot continue there if the person has to be tasked with election duties.

Among other officers in new roles are ADG Intelligence Bureau (IB), Siddh Nath Gupta, who has been appointed as ADG Law and Order; Special Commissioner of Kolkata Police Jayanta Kumar Basu became the new Director of the State Directorate of Economic Offences.

Also ADG South Bengal Niraj Kumar Singh became new ADG IB, replacing Gupta while IPS officer Vishal Garg took charge as Commissioner of Police (Howrah district).