Delhi's New Police Commissioner Is Sanjay Arora, Ex Chief Of Border Police

Sanjay Arora, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre, will succeed Rakesh Asthana as Police Commissioner of Delhi. He will leave his current post of Director General, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), to join on August 1. He may serve until his retirement on July 31, 2025, or until further orders, as per the Union Home Ministry .

SL Thaosen, Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal, will head the ITBP as additional charge for now.

Sanjay Arora is only the third officer from outside the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) cadre brought in to head the national capital's police force, according to news agency PTI. Rakesh Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer, was appointed in July 2021, while Ajay Raj Sharma, a 1966-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, had got the post in 1999. According Home Ministry orders, Mr Arora, who is from the 1988 batch of IPS, has been formally deputed to the AGMUT cadre for this appointment.

Mr Arora has a bachelor's degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, as per information shared by the Home Ministry. 

After joining the IPS, he initially served in various capacities in Tamil Nadu, including being part of the task force against dacoit Veerappan and his gang. He was awarded the CM's Gallantry Medal for it, the ministry note said.

During one of his stints with the ITBP, he was also an instructor at the force's academy in Mussoorie from 2000 to 2002. He went on to head the police in Coimbatore city and also remained additional commissioner for crime and traffic in Chennai. 

He became head of the ITBP in August last year. He has got the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the UN Peacekeeping Medal, among other honours.

For the outgoing commissioner, Rakesh Asthana, who served a year in the post, the Farewell Ceremonial Parade will be held this evening.

Mr Asthana was due to retire from the IPS last year but was given an extension to take charge of Delhi Police four days before that. 

His appointment was challenged by several people, most prominently by an organisation called the Centre for Public Interest Litigations (CPIL), arguing that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister, violated Supreme Court guidelines in giving him the post.

While the Delhi High Court dismissed the petitions, the CPIL went to the Supreme Court, which last heard the matter on July 19. There has been no verdict yet.