New Delhi, July 1
The Delhi Police is all set to witness a change in leadership with their Chief Sanjay Arora retiring this month end. The Centre has a key decision to take this time and the appointment which is the most awaited gets more interesting with two powerful front runners in the AGMUT cadre and four DGs in in Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) retiring months apart.
In the AGMUT cadre, two senior IPS officers are the top contenders- Satish Golcha and Praveer Ranjan both are of the Director General ranks. The Centre had been appointing officers from other cadres who are on central deputation as Police Commissioner since 2022 however this time the selection gets more nail biting with DGs retiring from four forces starting August.
In the AGMUT cadre currently serving in Delhi Police, the 1991 batch is the senior most batch that has IPS Vivek Gogia (Special CP Special Cell) and Nuzhat Hasan (Special CP Human Resource) however both are retiring this year. While Gogia retires in July end, Hasan retires in January 2026.
The 1992 batch in Delhi Police brings Satish Golcha, a fine and experienced officer of AGMUT cadre who is known for his grit and integrity. Presently, he is serving as Director General Prisons overlooking Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini jails.
After witnessing high profile murders and gang wars inside the Tihar prisons, the Centre had appointed Satish Golcha as DG Prisons first on an interim basis and then regularised his appointment.
Golcha has served as DG Arunachal Pradesh in 2022 after which he was appointed back in Delhi Police as Special CP Intelligence. He was then transferred as DG Prisons at the time when Tihar Jail was facing worst crisis of gang wars, murders, allegations of special treatment to AAP ministers lodged then in the prisons.
He brings with him a thorough experience of working in Delhi Police from the post of a young DCP to Range Joint CP, Delhi Crime Branch, Intelligence and even prisons. He has rich experience in intelligence operations, internal security and administrative work.
Senior IPS Praveer Ranjan is the second most probably contender within the cadre. He is Special DG Airports in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) from 2024.
He has had a very successful stint as DG Chandigarh and probably in the recent times, the most impactful one!
As DGP Chandigarh, Community policing like Samavesh, Swayam, Cyber Swatchhta Mission, URJA – Ek Nayi Kiran, Student Police Cadet Programme were launched during his tenure in the city. He was also a youth and spots enthusiast and encouraged young personnel in the force and youth in the city to join many outreach programmes.
He spent almost three years as the DGP and was regarded as one of the loved DGPs in the UT recently.
The Chandigarh police personnel were happy with his supervision and leadership. During his departure, they had organised a grand event to give a farewell to him holding him on their shoulders and danced.
With both IPS officers having an impeccable record of policing, if the Centre decides to choose an officer within the cadre, Delhi Police will receive the best leadership in both.
However, with the Centre's change of approach in appointing officers from other cadres, the likelihood of the an appointment of other officers is high. The Centre had changed the trend of the appointment of Delhi CP since 2021 when they appointed former Special Director CBI Rakesh Asthana as Delhi CP. Until then the selection of the officer was from within the AGMUT cadre considering the seniority and work. Asthana was on deputation to the Centre and given an inter cadre deputation before appointed as CP.
This was followed by appointment of present Delhi CP Sanjay Arora who was DG into Tibetan Border Police when he was moved to Delhi Police. Arora from the Tamil Nadu cadre was also on central deputation and given an inter cadre deputation before appointment as Delhi CP. The Centre announced Arora's retirement 50 days ahead and confirmed his retirement on July 31.
If the Centre were to chose from the DGs of CAPFs, four officers- DG BSF Daljeet Singh Chawdhary (retirement due in November), DG CISF Rajwinder Singh Bhatti (retirement due in September), DG SSB Amrit Mohan (retirement due in August) and DG ITBP Rahul Rasgotra (retirement due in September) already run out of race.
The Centre has DG CRPF GP Singh (1991 batch), DG National Security Guards B Shrinivas (1992 batch), DG National Disaster Response Force Piyush Anand (1991 batch), DG Narcotics Control Bureau Anurag Garg (1993 batch) DG National Crime Records Bureau Alok Ranjan (1991 batch), DG Bureau of Police Research & Development Rajeev Kumar Sharma (1990 batch), DG SVPNA Amit Garg (1993 batch), DG Special Protection Group Alok Sharma (1991 batch) and DG Rapid Action Force Manoj Yadava (1988 batch) who is also retiring this month.
CBI Director Praveen Sood is already on an extension and has been doing an impactful work while DG NIA Sadanand Date has been running a successful stint and supervising some highly sensitive and high profile terror cases. With Sood's experience in CBI and Date's years of expertise in counter terrorism, these two officers will continue heading the respective forces.
The decision of the next CP also has another factor in consideration; the rule of BJP for the first time in the national capital. BJP won the elections in February this year and appointed Rekha Gupta as the CM. CM Rekha Gupta has given dedicated importance to law and order, security and countering illegal immigration in the city.
Recently, Delhi CM withdrew powers of Delhi Police in giving permission/approval in building construction and seven business under licensing division. With the change of leadership at the political front, the citizens are also expecting a stronger law and order, disciplined functioning of the force and faster redressals of their pending issues.
The new Delhi Police Commissioner is expected to bring an all inclusive, developmental and proactive approach to running the national capital police. Although the decision of appointment lies with the Centre, the probability of getting a new CP from the AGMUT cadre is higher.
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