Rakesh Asthana appointed Delhi Police Commissioner

Gujarat cadre officer gets inter-cadre deputation, extension

Days before his superannuation, Gujarat cadre IPS officer Rakesh Asthana was on Tuesday appointed Delhi Police Commissioner.

Mr. Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer, was to retire on July 31. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs order, Mr. Asthana, who was serving as Director General, Border Security Force, will join as the Delhi Police Commissioner with immediate effect.

On July 1, Balaji Srivastava, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was given the additional charge of Commissioner of Delhi Police.

While clearing Mr. Asthana’s appointment as CP, Delhi, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the inter-cadre deputation from Gujarat to AGMUT cadre. The ACC also extended Mr. Asthana’s service initially for a period of one year beyond the date of his superannuation or until further order, whichever is earlier.

This is one of the very few instances when an IPS officer outside of the AGMUT cadre has been appointed as the Delhi Police chief.

Mr. Asthana had earlier served as the Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation. He was the Narcotics Control Bureau chief when actor Rhea Chakraborty was arrested in a drugs case in Mumbai.

During his stint in the CBI in 2018, Mr. Ashtana was engaged in an unsavoury spat with the then CBI Director Alok Verma. Both the officers were removed from the central probe agency and Mr. Asthana was subsequently cleared of the charges.

(With inputs from PTI)

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