Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer Sanjay Arora appointed as Delhi Police Commissioner

Sanjay Arora, a Tamil Nadu-cadre IPS officer, currently serving as Director General of the ITBP, was on Sunday appointed the Commissioner of Delhi Police.

Arora will succeed Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer.

According to an official order, the competent authority has approved the inter-cadre deputation of Arora to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, whose officers serve in the Delhi Police.

Arora, a 1988-batch IPS officer, will take charge on Monday and will continue till further order.

He has served as the SP of the Tamil Nadu Police STF that chased forest brigand Veerappan and he was awarded the chief minister's gallantry medal for bravery during this stint.

This is for the third time in recent history that an officer from outside AGMUT cadre has been brought to head the national capital's police force.

Asthana, a 1984-batch IPS officer, was appointed as Delhi’s police commissioner in July 2021 while Ajay Raj Sharma, a 1966-batch Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, was appointed head of the Delhi Police in 1999.

Arora was appointed Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG in August last year and he has tenure in service till July 2025.

He served as Coimbatore police commissioner between 2002 and 2004 and has also served in the CRPF and the BSF. He holds a B Tech degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering.

In a separate order, the home ministry said his tenure as DG ITBP has been curtailed and his inter-cadre deputation from the Tamil Nadu cadre to the AGMUT cadre will begin from the date of joining the AGMUT cadre and up to his date of superannuation i.e. up to July 31, 2025, or until further orders, whichever is earlier, in relaxation of inter-cadre deputation guidelines.

In yet another order, the home ministry said Director General of the SSB, S L Thaosen, a 1988-batch IPS officer of Madhya Pradesh, will hold additional charge of DG, ITBP till further order.