It was 2010. The political winds were changing in West Bengal. Mamta Banerjee was the leader of the opposition. There was also a railway minister at the centre. The name of the IPS officer was often in the news. His fearless work style made criminals fear him. It was the era of Naxalites. The then Bengal government had a lot of trust in him. That is why he was sent to the front in any crisis. But the opposition did not like his work style.
Mamta Banerjee even called him a “CPI(M) agent”. She had announced then that she would seek an apology from the IPS officer when she came to power. After coming to power in 2011, the Mamata government relieved him of his duties and put him on a waiting list. But it didn’t take long for Mamta to understand his needs too. He was recalled after peace talks between the Maoists failed due to fears of violence.
Yes, we are talking about IPS officer Manoj Verma, who has been appointed as the new Kolkata Police Commissioner. Looking at the situation in the city after the rape and murder case of a female doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, Mamata Banerjee has expressed great confidence in him. Manoj Verma earned a reputation as a strong cop during one of the most dangerous periods in West Bengal – the Naxal insurgency.
Maoist stronghold in West Medinipur demolished
In 2008, when Manoj Verma was appointed as the police chief of West Medinipur district, the situation there was very bad. The Maoists had taken root here. An almost parallel power had been established. That’s when he started working on two fronts simultaneously. He fought the Naxalites fiercely on one hand and constantly strengthened his outreach to the people on the other. In this way, they soon systematically destroyed the Maoist strongholds in the district. By 2010, when the Maoist movement began to falter, he became the center of praise and controversy.
Criticizing work style and accusing the government of being a pawn
The opposition objected to his working style. He defended controversial tactics of the security forces, including an encounter in Salboni where the bodies of Maoists were tied to bamboo poles and carried away after being shot. His critics, especially the Trinamool Congress and its leader Mamata Banerjee, accused him of being a pawn of the then Left Front government and even called him an agent of the CPI(M).
Mamta, a staunch dissenter, was forced into the mainstream.
When Mamata Banerjee came to power and the government’s peace talks with the Maoists failed, she reappointed Manoj Verma to lead the anti-terrorist force. He played an important role in ending Naxal violence. Under his leadership, the police shot dead Maoist top leader Kishenji in a clash in 2011. The death of Maoist leader Kishenji was a major blow to the Naxal movement.
Violent riots end in Darjeeling
IPS officer Manoj Verma’s abilities are not limited to the plains. In 2017, when violence broke out in Darjeeling, he was posted as the Inspector General (IG) there. The Gorkha Jammu and Kashmir (GJM)-led movement for a separate state for Gorkhaland lasted 104 days and anarchy broke out in the hills. Manoj Verma took a strict stand here too.
The battle for supremacy between TMC and BJP came to a halt.
Due to his harsh actions, GMC supremo Bimal Gurung was forced to flee. His success here earned him the prestigious Police Medal of Merit in 2017 and many other awards. His next big challenge comes from Barrackpur, where political violence has increased due to the growing influence of the BJP after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The clash for supremacy between the TMC and the BJP has turned into a gang war.
This important responsibility was given before the Lok Sabha elections.
After being appointed Barrackpore police chief, he once again started a crackdown on crime. Political violence was curbed under his leadership, but he had to pay a price. Arjun Singh, then a local MP, accused him of working for the ruling TMC. Just before the Lok Sabha elections, he was appointed assistant director general (law and order) of West Bengal police.
Now all eyes are on IPS Manoj Verma
Now, the 168-year-old Kolkata Police is under the command of Manoj Verma. All eyes are on how this experienced officer will cope with all the challenges that arise here. It is too early to say whether his past success will bring easy times to Kolkata Police, but in this hour of crisis, Mamata Banerjee has entrusted him with the responsibility of the city’s law, with the task of weathering yet another storm.
Born in Rajasthan, passed the Civil Services Examination in 1998
Manoj Verma was born on September 30, 1968 in Sawai Madhopur, Rajasthan, and studied engineering. In 1998, he passed the Civil Services Examination. In 2019, he was awarded the Chief Minister’s Police Medal. Mamata Banerjee paid tribute to him on Independence Day. Prior to this, he had also received the State Government Police Medal in 2017. IPS Javed Shamim will succeed him as ADG (Law and Order).
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