IPS officer Manoj Kumar Verma has been appointed as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner, a day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee announced the removal of Vineet Goyal from the post after meeting with junior doctors protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in Kolkata. Goyal has been appointed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) of the West Bengal Police's Special Task Force (STF).
Verma, who is from the 1998 batch, was posted as Additional Director General of Police (ADG) (Law and Order) in the West Bengal Police. He earlier served as the Barrackpore Police Commissioner and additional director at the Directorate of Security.
Junior doctors, protesting outside Swasthya Bhavan, the state's health headquarters since September 10, have been demanding the removal of Goyal for his handling of the rape and murder of the trainee doctor, whose semi-naked body was found in the seminar hall of RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9.
Apart from Goyal, the Deputy Commissioner of Kolkata Police (North), against whom the trainee doctor's family had levelled allegations of bribery, would also be removed, Mamata Banerjee had said.
The Director of Medical Education, Kaustav Naik, and the Director of Health Services, Debashis Halder, have also been removed from their posts.
Meanwhile, Verma, the new Kolkata Police chief, will have a huge task ahead of maintaining law and order in Kolkata amid protests against the trainee doctor's rape and murder and the upcoming Durga Puja festivities.
Verma is one of the top senior officers in the West Bengal Police who has long-time experience and expertise working in the affected Jangalmahal area for many years from the front line.
He was posted as the Superintendent of Police (SP) in the most affected area and led the joint operation against Maoists when several districts of the state were under the influence of Maoists.
