Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajeev Kumar who returned to the city last night after being grilled by officials of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for 36 hours, over five days, is likely to be transferred before February 20 when the next hearing of CBI’s contempt of court case is due at the Supreme Court.

Sources said that the transfer was almost certain following an order issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on January 16. The order said that any officer who has been engaged in the election process would have to be transferred. It also said that officers who would complete three years of office at any particular place as on May 31, 2019, would have to be transferred as well.

Earlier the deadline of carrying out the order was February 28 but officials said that the deadline has been brought to February 20.

In 2016, ahead of the West Bengal Assembly elections, Kumar was removed from the post of the Kolkata Police commissioner, under the instruction of the election commissioner but on May 21, that year, he was reinstated. Thus by May 31 this year, his tenure as the commissioner will cross the three-year mark and so he would have to be removed before February 20.

Although some names are doing the rounds it has not yet been settled as to who would replace Kumar as the Kolkata Police chief.

Those officers who have been appointed as deputy election officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers till May 31, 2017, in any election or bye-election, will also have to be transferred. The same would be applicable for police inspectors and sub-inspectors.