Peeyush Pandey took charge as the Bengal director-general of police at the state police directorate in Bhabani Bhawan on Saturday afternoon.
A 1993-batch IPS officer of the Bengal cadre, Pandey was earlier the director of security of the state and replaced Rajeev Kumar as the new DGP. He formally assumed charge on Saturday and is expected to brief his officers next week, sources said.
“We will work as a team,” Pandey told his colleagues after taking charge.
Pandey has held several key positions in Bengal as well as Kolkata Police.
He has served as deputy commissioner (detective department) in Calcutta, superintendent of police (Burdwan district), deputy inspector-general (Midnapore Range), and inspector-general of police (correctional services). He has also been part of the special protection group (SPG) during his central deputation.
Pandey’s last posting was as the director of security of Bengal Police. Former Kolkata Police commissioner Manoj Verma on Saturday replaced Pandey and took charge as the new director of security, the officer responsible for the chief minister’s security detail.
Pandey was recently appointed head of the special investigation team probing the fiasco during the Lionel Messi show at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13.
Sources in the state home department said Pandey, as the new DGP, would face multiple challenges with elections around the corner and several law-and-order issues arising across the state.
“The new assignment would be challenging given the situation and timing. The elections are knocking on the door. There are law-and-order problems, disputes over SIR-related issues that need to be addressed,” a senior bureaucrat said.
Officers who know Pandey closely said he is known for his “calm demeanour” and ability to handle pressure “with a smiling face”.
Sporadic violence, law-and-order concerns, SIR-related flare-ups, misuse of social media for rumour-mongering on sensitive and communal issues, and rising cybercrime affecting large populations are some of the problem areas in Bengal that will require police intervention.
More shuffled
A fresh round of transfers was issued on Saturday.
Dinesh Kumar, earlier posted as superintendent of police, Bongaon, has been posted as deputy commissioner (north) in Kolkata Police replacing Dipak Sarkar. Sarkar has been moved to the post of deputy commissioner (south).
Charu Sharma, previously additional SP (headquarters) in Sundarbans, has been posted as deputy commissioner (south suburban division) in Kolkata Police.
Special superintendent of the Intelligence Branch, Jaspreet Singh, has been posted as deputy commissioner (east division). Amit Verma, who was serving as deputy commissioner in the armed police of Kolkata Police, has been posted as deputy commissioner (eastern suburban division) of Kolkata Police.