Manoj Kumar Verma Appointed As New Kolkata Commissioner of Police

The new Police Commissioner of Kolkata, IPS officer Manoj Kumar Verma, has been appointed. The move comes after the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee agreed to the demands made by junior doctors protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at Kolkata RG Kar Medical College and the Hospital for the removal of Vineet Kumar Goyal as the Commissioner of Police for Kolkata on Tuesday. 

According to a notification from the Department of Home and Hill Affairs, Verma, previously the Additional Director General of Police (ADG) for Law and Order in West Bengal, will assume the role of CP in Kolkata from the date he takes charge until further orders. 

Former CP Vineet Kumar Goyal has been reassigned as the ADG and Inspector General of Police (IGP) for the Special Task Force in West Bengal. 

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced that most of their demands had been met, including the removal of Kolkata CP and certain officials from the health department. “Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Kumar Goyal has expressed his willingness to resign,” said Banerjee while addressing the junior doctors on Tuesday. 

She added that Goyal would officially hand over the responsibilities to the new CP at 4 pm on Tuesday, and her government had agreed to the junior doctors’ demands.

“We have listened to the junior doctors and decided to replace the Commissioner. He has voluntarily agreed to resign. In the health department, they requested the removal of three officials, and we have agreed to two. We have fulfilled 99 per cent of their demands. What more can we do? We have asked the doctors to return to work so that the public doesn’t suffer,” she said. 

“We have accepted three of their four demands. DC North (Abhishek Gupta) will also be removed, and a decision on the new DC will be made tomorrow. Additionally, we will ensure the security of doctors,” she added.