The Election Commission of India (ECI) appointed Syed Waquar Raja, an IPS officer of 2007 batch and a joint commissioner of police (crime) of Kolkata Police (KP) as the deputy inspector general (DIG) of police of Murshidabad range, within 24 hours after the commission removed Mukesh Kumar from the post on Monday.

The national poll panel on Monday directed the state chief secretary (CS) B P Gopalika to remove Mr Kumar from the post by rehabilitating him in a ‘non-election related’ portfolio in the state police headquarters.

The commission also asked Mr Gopalika to send a list of three eligible officers to the former so that one of them can be selected for the post of the DIG in Murshidabad range.

Today, the commission selected Mr Raza from the list of three officers and made him the DIG. It has asked Mr Gopalika to implement the directive with immediate effect.

The ECI already removed Rajeev Kumar, one of the most trusted IPS officers of the chief minister, from the post of director general of police (DGP) in March and superintendents of police in four districts East Midnapore, East Burdwan, Jhargram and Birbhum respectively since the announcement of dates of general elections in the country was made on 16 March. Senior IPS officer Sanjay Mukherjee has been appointed as DGP by the commission.

Hours after the commission’s decision to transfer Mr Kumar, the chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who also heads the home department, reacted strongly against the poll panel.

While addressing an election rally in Alipurduar on Monday, the ruling Trinamul Congress chairperson slammed the commission, saying, “They will have to take responsibilities if communal violence erupts in Murshidabad and Malda.”

“I know the officers who can control incidents of violence but with instructions of the BJP the election commission is removing these officers. They (commission) removed the DIG of Murshidabad range.

They will be responsible if riots happen in Murshidabad,” Miss Banerjee had said.

The outgoing Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury had also raised questions about the impartiality of Mr Kumar.