Wife Of Bengal’s E Top Cop Resigns From RTI Panel, Cites Govt's 'Desire' To Discontinue Her

Published 29 July 2026 · local

Wife Of Bengal’s E Top Cop Resigns From RTI Panel, Cites Govt's 'Desire' To Discontinue Her Curated By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 11:28 IST

Wife Of Bengal’s E Top Cop Resigns From RTI Panel, Cites Govt's 'Desire' To Discontinue Her Curated By, Last Updated: July 29, 2026, 11:28 IST Opposition parties had questioned the appointment of Sanchita Kumar, wife of Rajiv Kumar, the former Kolkata Police Commissioner and e acting DGP, alleging conflict of interest Rapid Read Sanchita Kumar with her husband Rajiv Kumar, Trinamool Congress MP and former acting Director General of Police. (PTI) Sanchita Kumar, wife of Trinamool Congress MP and former acting Director General of Police Rajiv Kumar, on Tuesday resigned as member of the West Bengal State Information Commission. In her resignation letter, Sanchita Kumar said she had been informed by the Information Commissioner that the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms had conveyed the West Bengal government’s desire that she should discontinue as a member of the commission.

Referring to the statutory status of the commission, she wrote that the West Bengal State Information Commission is an independent institution established under the Right to Information Act, 2005, and is expected to function free from executive influence. However, she stated that continuing in office despite the government’s expressed desire would neither serve the larger public interest nor uphold the dignity of the institution. “To avoid any controversy," she wrote, she was voluntarily resigning, while expressing hope that the commission would continue to function with independence, fairness and integrity. Sanchita Kumar was appointed as a member in June 2025 under the provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Her appointment had drawn political attention, given that she is the wife of Rajiv Kumar, the former Kolkata Police Commissioner and former acting Director General of Police, who later became a Trinamool Congress Member of Parliament.

At the time, opposition parties questioned the appointment, alleging a conflict of interest and citing Rajiv Kumar’s closeness with former chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The appointment, however, was made through the statutory process prescribed under the RTI Act. Her resignation comes amid sweeping changes in the state’s administrative set-up since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) stormed to power in West Bengal. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit About the Author Kamalika Sengupta Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting... Read More First Published: July 29, 2026, 11:28 IST News india Wife Of Bengal’s E Top Cop Resigns From RTI Panel, Cites Govt's 'Desire' To Discontinue Her Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s.