Centre appoints DG ITBP Sanjay Arora as the new Delhi Police Commissioner

New Delhi, July 31

Amidst a day full of speculations and reported extension of service period of senior IPS officer Rakesh Asthana, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has appointed Tamil Nadu cadre officer Sanjay Arora as the new Police Chief of the national capital police.

Sanjay Arora is a 1988 batch IPS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre who is currently serving as DG ITBP.

Arora's appointment took everyone by surprise as while some were expecting Asthana to continue as the Delhi CP the others were reportedly anticipating senior officer from Delhi Police to be the frontrunners for the post. 

Incumbent officer Rakesh Asthana who was serving as DG Border Security Force, was given an year of extension and transferred to UT cadre from Gujarat cadre and appointed as Delhi CP in July 2021. His extension period got over on July 31.

The reports on Asthana getting a six month extension were doing the rounds for more than 24 hours however simultaneously the Delhi Police had begun prepration of the farewell ceremony of the outgoing CP as no official orders were received by them.

As Delhi CP Rakesh Asthana led the police force from the front and made notable changes in the functioning of the police force.

He is revered and loved by officers and personnel from all ranks for improvising the work of Delhi Police by leaps and bounds. Under the reign of Asthana, the Delhi Police made notable changes in infrastructure, modernization, welfare and health.

From starting an open house to hear out his policemen to appointing women IPS officers as district police chiefs in a first in Delhi Police, Asthana changed the dynamics of the system. Under Asthana, Delhi Police not only had six women IPS officers as district DCPs but women SHOs leading the police stations. 

Giving utmost importance to public police interface, Asthana initiated some key projects for Delhi Police by involving various departments of the Government of India and working towards the citizen centric initiatives.

Rakesh Asthana not only envisaged Delhi Police as the modernised national capital police but ensured it works as one by setting examples in every aspect of policing. 

Asthana will be given a farewell at the Police Headquarters in Delhi in the presence of the top brass of Delhi Police.