West Bengal Police reshuffle: 23 IPS officers transferred in major shake-up
Synopsis
The West Bengal government has transferred 23 IPS officers at one go, reshuffling leadership across Kolkata Police and state police departments. The sweep covers intelligence, traffic, security, CID, and district units — one of the largest single-order police transfers the state has seen this year.
Key Takeaways
The West Bengal government transferred 23 IPS officers in a single order on 26 September 2026 .
Sudhir Kumar Neelkantam , former IG of the STF, is the new Additional Commissioner of Kolkata Police .
Devendra Prakash Singh moves from Kolkata Police's Additional Commissioner role to IG of IB, North Bengal .
Nima Narbu Bhutia and Dhritiman Sarkar are posted as Special Superintendents in the CID .
District-level postings cover Kalimpong , Birbhum , Mathabhanga , and Malda Rural , with four West Bengal Police Service cadre officers included.
The West Bengal government on 26 September 2026 announced a sweeping reshuffle across both West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police, transferring 23 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers in a single order. The notification, issued by the state home (police) department, reshuffles senior positions across intelligence, traffic, security, and investigative wings.
Key Transfers in Kolkata Police
Devendra Prakash Singh, Kolkata Police's Additional Police Commissioner, has been posted as Inspector General (IG) of Intelligence Branch (IB) in North Bengal. Surya Pratap Yadav, previously Joint Commissioner (Traffic) of Kolkata Police, moves to the role of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of IB of the state police.
Sparsha Nilangi, the Enforcement Branch Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police, has been reassigned as DC of the Detective Department (DD) within Kolkata Police. Meanwhile, Sudhir Kumar Neelkantam — formerly IG of the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police — takes charge as the new Additional Commissioner of Kolkata Police.
Bholanath Pandey, earlier the DIG of the IB of the state police, has been appointed the new Joint Commissioner of Traffic of Kolkata Police. Sukhendu Hira, who served as DIG (Security) of the state police, has been transferred as Joint Commissioner (Security) of Kolkata Police.
Reshuffles in West Bengal Police
Neelu Sherpa, previously IG of the West Bengal Crime Records Bureau (WBCRB), has been made IG of the West Bengal Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBPHIDC). Shanka Shubhra Chakraborty, who headed the West Bengal Police Home Guard as IG, takes over as the new IG of the WBCRB.
Debarshi Dutta, the outgoing DIG of WBPHIDC, has been posted as Joint Commissioner of Bidhannagar Police Commissionerate. Nima Narbu Bhutia, formerly Commanding Officer of the 10th Battalion of the West Bengal Armed Police Forces, moves to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) as Special Superintendent.
Dhritiman Sarkar, erstwhile Special Superintendent of the IB, joins the CID as Special Superintendent in Malda district.
District-Level Postings
Several officers have also been posted at the district level. Purnima Sherpa is the new Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Kalimpong, while Abhishek Roy takes charge as ASP of Birbhum. Manabendra Das has been appointed ASP of Mathabhanga, and Kunal Barnabas becomes ASP of Malda Rural. The state home department noted that the last four are West Bengal Police Service cadre officers, distinct from the IPS batch.
Significance and What Comes Next
Large-scale police reshuffles in West Bengal are periodically undertaken to rotate senior officers across departments and address perceived operational gaps. This round notably sees simultaneous movement across intelligence, traffic, security, and investigative wings — a breadth that signals a broader administrative recalibration rather than a targeted shake-up of any single department. The new postings are expected to take immediate effect following the issuance of the official order.
Point of View
Traffic, security, and the CID simultaneously is not routine rotation — it reflects an attempt to reset operational command across multiple sensitive departments in one move. What the order does not spell out is the rationale: whether this is performance-driven, politically motivated, or a response to specific law-and-order pressures in the state. West Bengal's police transfers have historically attracted scrutiny from opposition parties and, at times, the courts over timing and intent. The breadth of this particular order — spanning Kolkata, North Bengal, Bidhannagar, Malda, Birbhum, and Kalimpong — suggests a state government that wants to project administrative control ahead of what is likely to be a politically charged period. Whether the new incumbents deliver improved outcomes in their postings is the question that will ultimately matter.
NationPress
26 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many IPS officers were transferred in West Bengal's latest police reshuffle?
The West Bengal government transferred 23 IPS officers in a single order on 26 September 2026, covering both West Bengal Police and Kolkata Police across intelligence, traffic, security, CID, and district units.
Who is the new Additional Commissioner of Kolkata Police?
Sudhir Kumar Neelkantam has been appointed the new Additional Commissioner of Kolkata Police. He previously served as Inspector General of the Special Task Force (STF) of West Bengal Police.
What changes were made to Kolkata Police's traffic wing?
Bholanath Pandey, formerly DIG of the Intelligence Branch of the state police, has been appointed as the new Joint Commissioner of Traffic of Kolkata Police, replacing Surya Pratap Yadav, who moves to the DIG (IB) role.
Which districts received new Additional Superintendents of Police in this reshuffle?
Kalimpong, Birbhum, Mathabhanga, and Malda Rural each received new Additional Superintendents of Police. The officers posted there — Purnima Sherpa, Abhishek Roy, Manabendra Das, and Kunal Barnabas — are West Bengal Police Service cadre officers.
What is the significance of simultaneous transfers across intelligence, CID, and traffic?
Reshuffles spanning multiple sensitive wings at once signal a broad administrative recalibration rather than a targeted change. In West Bengal, such sweeping orders are periodically used to rotate senior officers and consolidate command structures, though the specific operational reasoning behind this order has not been officially disclosed.
