Cachar SSP Partha Protim Das moves to Nagaon, Sanjib Kumar Saikia to take charge

The Assam government transfers Cachar’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Partha Protim Das, IPS (RR-2018) to Nagaon, and posts Sanjib Kumar Saikia, APS (DR-2004) – currently SSP Kamrup – as the new SSP of Cachar, as per a Home (A) Department notification issued “in the interest of public service”.

According to the order, Das is posted as SSP, Nagaon, “with effect from the date of taking over charge”, vice Swapnaneel Deka, APS, who has been transferred. Saikia is posted as SSP, Cachar, in place of Das, with the same “date of taking over charge” clause.

The transfer takes place amid a broader round of pre-election administrative changes seen across poll-bound states, where the Election Commission of India’s transfer-and-posting framework typically triggers movement of officials connected with election-related responsibilities.

Under Election Commission instructions, officers directly connected with election work are not allowed to continue in the same district if they are posted in their home district, or if they have completed three years in the district during the last four years. The Commission’s directions also emphasise that while implementing such transfers, the state must ensure that no DEO/RO/ARO and police officers of inspector/sub-inspector rank or above are posted back or allowed to continue in the Assembly constituency/district where they were posted during the last Assembly election and subsequent elections covered by the instruction.

While the Home Department notification does not cite the reasons behind the reshuffle, such moves are commonly aimed at ensuring adherence to the Election Commission’s neutrality and rotation norms ahead of elections, particularly for senior police leadership positions that play a key role in law-and-order and election security arrangements.