ECI Transfers 33 IPS Officers in West Bengal, 2 Pulled Back from Observer Duty
Indian Bureaucracy News, Kolkata, March 19, 2026 | In the run-up to the Legislative Assembly elections in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India issued a series of orders between March 17 and 18, 2026, transferring over thirty-three (33) IPS officers. This includes the deputation of 15 officers as election observers to the states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
Following a late-night decision on Wednesday, the Election Commission of India cancelled the alternative postings given by the State government to 15 IPS officers within West Bengal. These postings had been assigned after the officers were relieved of their positions on the Commission’s directions and barred from election-related duties in view of the upcoming polls.
The Commission indicated that all 15 officers would be deployed outside the state as police observers in other poll-bound regions. The list included several senior IPS officers from the 2004 to 2009 batches, many of whom bring over two decades of policing experience. Among them were Praveen Kumar Tripathi, Murli Dhar, Bhaskar Mukherjee, C Sudhakar, Dhritimaan Sarkar, Indira Mukherjee, and others.
However, in a revised decision, the Commission allowed two of these officers—Shri Murli Dhar, Police Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate, and Shri Syed Waquar Raza, Police Commissioner of Siliguri Metropolitan Police—to remain in the state, without immediately assigning them observer roles elsewhere.
The move follows sustained demands from Opposition parties in West Bengal, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had argued that officers barred from election duties should be moved out of the state entirely to prevent any potential influence on the electoral process.
In addition, at the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) level, changes have been notified in ranges including Raiganj, Murshidabad, Bardhaman, Presidency, and Jalpaiguri.
In a separate order ECI directed transfer of 13 IPS officers to district policing roles. These postings involve movement of officers across different regions of the State, including from urban to district assignments. Also, several officers previously serving in urban commissionerates and headquarters-based roles in Kolkata, Bidhannagar, Howrah, and Siliguri have been reassigned to district postings in Coochbehar, Birbhum, Malda, Murshidabad, Islampur, and Purba Medinipur. Officers from specialised units such as the Intelligence Branch and Special Task Force have also been posted to field assignments.
Detailed list of all the officers with their present and new postings is listed below.
IPS Officers deputed to other states as observers
Update : ECI has decided to retain the these two officers in the state – Shri Murali Dhar and Shri Syed Waquar Raza will not be deputed to other states as Election Observers.
- Shri Praveen Kumar Tripathi IPS (West Bengal 2004) is presently IGP, STF, West Bengal.
- Shri Murli Dhar IPS (West Bengal 2005) is presently CP, Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate in the rank of IG.
- Shri Mukesh IPS (West Bengal 2006) is presently IGP, IB, West Bengal.
- Shri C Sudhakar IPS (West Bengal 2006) is presently IGP, IB, North Bengal.
- Shri Syed Waqar Raza IPS (West Bengal 2007) is presently CP, Siliguri Police Commissionerate in the rank of DIG.
- Shri Alok Rajoria IPS (West Bengal 2008) presently awaiting posting.
- Shri Rashid Munir Khan IPS (West Bengal 2008) is presently DIG, HQ, West Bengal.
- Shri Akash Magharia IPS (West Bengal 2009) is presently DIG, IB, West Bengal.
- Shri Bhaskar Mukherjee IPS (West Bengal 2009) presently awaiting posting.
- Shri Avijit Banerjee IPS (West Bengal 2013) is presently Special Superintendent (SS) , IB, West Bengal.
- Smt. Indira Mukherjee IPS (West Bengal 2013) is presently Special Superintendent (SS) , CID, West Bengal.
- Shri Amandeep IPS (West Bengal 2014) is presently Special Superintendent (SS), IB, West Bengal.
- Shri Dhritiman Sarkar IPS (West Bengal 2014) is presently Special Superintendent (SS) , IB, West Bengal.
- Shri Priyabrata Roy IPS (West Bengal 2014) is presently DC, Traffic, Kolkata.
- Shri Sandeep Karra IPS (West Bengal 2016) is presently SP, STF, West Bengal.
DIG Rank Transfers
- Shri Rathod Amitkumar Bharat IPS (West Bengal 2009), presently DIG, Traffic & Road Safety, West Bengal, is transferred and appointed as DIG – Raiganj Range, West Bengal.
- Shri Ajeet Singh Yadav IPS (West Bengal 2011), presently SP, DEO (in the rank of DIG), is transferred and appointed as DIG – Murshidabad, West Bengal.
- Shri Shrihari Pandey IPS (West Bengal 2011), presently DIG, IB, North Bengal, is transferred and appointed as DIG – Bardhaman, West Bengal.
- Shri Kankar Prosad Barui IPS (West Bengal 2007), presently DIG, Prison, West Bengal, is transferred and appointed as DIG – Presidency Range, West Bengal.
- Smt Anjali Singh IPS (West Bengal 2009), presently DIG, DIG, Traffic, West Bengal, is transferred and appointed as DIG – Jalpaiguri, West Bengal.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rank Transfers
- Smt Pushpa IPS (West Bengal 2012), presently DC, Bidhannagar Zone, Bidhannagar PC, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Barasat Police District.
- Shri Jaspreet Singh IPS (West Bengal 2016), presently DC, East Division, Kolkata, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Coochbehar.
- Shri Surya Pratap Yadav IPS (West Bengal 2011), presently DC, South-East Division, Kolkata, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Birbhum.
- Shri Rakesh Singh SPS (West Bengal 2014), presently DC, East, Siliguri PC, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Islampur Police District.
- Shri Kumar Sunny Raj IPS (West Bengal 2017), presently Special Superintendent (SS) , IB, West Bengal, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Hooghly Rural.
- Smt Ishani Paul IPS (West Bengal 2013), presently DC, HQ, Chandannagar Police Commissionerate, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Diamond Harbour Police District.
- Shri Sachin IPS (West Bengal 2013), presently CO, RAF Bn., Dabgram, Siliguri, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Murshidabad Police District.
- Smt Alaknanda Bhowal IPS (West Bengal 2017), presently DC, Chandannagar, Chandannagar PC, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Basirhat Police District.
- Shri Anupam Singh IPS (West Bengal 2015), presently DC, Traffic, Howrah PC, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Malda.
- Shri Angshuman Saha IPS (West Bengal 2012), presently CO, Gorkha Bn., Darjeeling, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Purba Medinipur.
- Shri Yeilwad Shrikant Jagannathrao IPS (West Bengal 2015), presently DC, Traffic, Kolkata, is transferred and appointed as Deputy Commissioner (DC) – Central Division, Kolkata.
- Shri Surinder Singh IPS (West Bengal 2016), presently CO, SAP 3rd Bn., is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Jangipur.
- Smt Papiya Sultana SPS (West Bengal 2015), presently DC, SB, Barrackpore PC, is transferred and appointed as Superintendent of Police (SP) – Paschim Medinipur.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes all the officers the very best.