Kolkata Police reforms 2026: Uniform code, IPS reinstatements and Scotland Yard revival
Synopsis
Kolkata Police — once celebrated as the 'Scotland Yard of the East' for pioneering criminal forensics and the world's first fingerprint bureau — are now under a court-ordered image rehabilitation. The BJP government's reform drive goes beyond optics: it reopens the R.G. Kar case, bans plain-clothes political deployments, and dismantles a welfare board whose chief coordinator is in ED custody.
Key Takeaways
Kolkata Police have begun a reform drive under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's BJP government , which took charge on 9 May 2026 .
A new uniform code bans plain-clothes duty for all personnel except five specialised departments, targeting alleged political misuse.
The government has reopened the R.G.
Kar rape and murder case files and suspended three IPS officers , including former commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal .
Senior IPS officers Damayanti Sen and K.
Jayaraman have been reinstated as member secretaries of judicial commissions probing institutional corruption and crimes against women .
CM Adhikari announced the addition of 20,000 police personnel across West Bengal within six months to one year .
The West Bengal Police Welfare Board has been dismantled; its former coordinator Santanu Sinha Biswas is in ED custody over money laundering allegations.
Kolkata Police, long battered by allegations of political misuse and investigative failures during the 15-year Trinamool Congress (TMC) rule in West Bengal from 2011 to 2026, have begun a sweeping reform drive under the newly installed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. The overhaul, initiated after Adhikari's cabinet took charge on 9 May 2026, is aimed at restoring the force's historic reputation as the 'Scotland Yard of the East'.
The Weight of a Troubled Legacy
The most damaging episode in Kolkata Police's recent history was its handling of the R.G. Kar rape and murder case, which drew widespread condemnation for what critics described as a shoddy investigation. The new BJP government has since ordered the R.G. Kar case files to be reopened and suspended three IPS officers linked to the city police at the time, including former city police commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal.
The force also faced sharp criticism for an intelligence failure in 2023, when it could not identify those responsible for a malicious poster placed at the residence of Calcutta High Court judge Justice Rajasekhar Mantha — a judge whose rulings had repeatedly gone against the previous TMC administration. Additionally, the city police were accused of deploying plain-clothes officers to intimidate critics of the Trinamool Congress government, a practice that became a flashpoint for public distrust.
The Uniform Code: Ending Plain-Dress Misuse
The most visible reform so far is the reintroduction of a strict code for police uniforms, designed to curb the alleged misuse of plain-clothes deployments for political purposes. A formal order now bars all Kolkata Police personnel from performing official duties in plain dress, with defined exceptions for five specialised departments: the Detective Department, the Special Branch, the Enforcement Branch, the Special Task Force, and the Cybercrime Division.
Officers outside these units who are required to go on duty without a uniform must obtain prior permission from higher authorities. All other personnel must be in uniform for raids, arrests, law-and-order duties, and any other official function. This is a direct structural response to the pattern of intimidation documented during the previous regime.
Senior IPS Officers Reinstated, Probe Panels Formed
The state government has also brought back two senior IPS officers who were reportedly sidelined during the TMC tenure. Damayanti Sen and K. Jayaraman, both widely regarded as officers of integrity, have been appointed as member secretaries of two separate commissions. The panels, headed by retired High Court judges, are tasked with investigating allegations of 'institutional corruption' and 'crimes against women' that allegedly occurred during the 15 years of Trinamool Congress rule.
Fitness Drive and Force Expansion
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, at a recent administrative meeting in Diamond Harbour, called for modernising the police force along the lines of specialised police units seen globally. He specifically urged personnel to prioritise physical fitness — a pointed message given that the poor fitness levels of a section of officers had become a source of public ridicule. Adhikari also announced that the state would add 20,000 police personnel across West Bengal within the next six months to one year.
Welfare Board Dismantled, ED Custody Link Surfaces
In a significant institutional move, CM Adhikari announced the dismantling of the West Bengal Police Welfare Board, which was reportedly run during the previous TMC regime by former Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Santanu Sinha Biswas. Sinha Biswas, described as a close confidant of former Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is currently in Enforcement Directorate (ED) custody over alleged involvement in money laundering and illegal land grabbing. The new government had earlier terminated a two-year service extension granted to him following his arrest. He had served as one of the two coordinators of the now-disbanded welfare board.
Kolkata Police carry a historically distinguished legacy — credited with pioneering criminal forensics and establishing the world's first fingerprint bureau. Whether the current reform push can durably rebuild that institutional credibility will depend on how consistently these measures are enforced in the months ahead.
Point of View
But the credibility test lies in execution. Kolkata Police's deterioration over 15 years was not accidental — it was systematically enabled by political patronage, and dismantling that requires more than uniform codes and personnel reshuffles. The reinstatement of Damayanti Sen and K. Jayaraman is a meaningful signal, but the real indicator will be whether the R.G. Kar investigation produces accountability that withstands judicial scrutiny. The dismantling of the Welfare Board, with its ED-custody link, also raises a harder question: how deep does institutional capture run, and are the probing commissions insulated enough from the new political dispensation to find out?
NationPress
2 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What reforms has Kolkata Police undertaken under the new BJP government?
Kolkata Police have introduced a strict uniform code banning plain-clothes duty for most personnel, reinstated sidelined IPS officers, reopened the R.G. Kar case files, and announced the addition of 20,000 personnel. The West Bengal Police Welfare Board has also been dismantled as part of the overhaul initiated after Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari's government took charge on 9 May 2026.
Why was Kolkata Police's image tarnished under the previous TMC government?
The force faced criticism on multiple fronts: shoddy handling of the R.G. Kar rape and murder investigation, failure to identify those behind a malicious poster at a Calcutta High Court judge's residence in 2023, and allegations of deploying plain-clothes officers to intimidate critics of the Trinamool Congress government.
What is the new uniform code for Kolkata Police?
The new order requires all Kolkata Police personnel to be in uniform for all official duties, including raids, arrests, and law-and-order functions. Exceptions apply only to five departments — the Detective Department, Special Branch, Enforcement Branch, Special Task Force, and Cybercrime Division — where plain-clothes work is operationally essential.
Who are Damayanti Sen and K. Jayaraman, and why were they reinstated?
Both are senior IPS officers widely regarded for their integrity who were reportedly sidelined during the TMC government's tenure. They have been appointed as member secretaries of two judicial commissions probing institutional corruption and crimes against women during the 15-year Trinamool Congress rule.
What is the significance of disbanding the West Bengal Police Welfare Board?
The board was reportedly run by former Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Santanu Sinha Biswas, currently in Enforcement Directorate custody over alleged money laundering and illegal land grabbing. His prior two-year service extension was also terminated by the new government, making the board's dismantling a pointed signal about accountability for the previous administration's institutional arrangements.
