UP Government transfers out DGP Mukul Goel in a sudden move

New Delhi, May 12

The Uttar Pradesh Government transferred out Director General of Police Mukul Goel from the post of the police chief of UP Police citing he was “disregarding government work”. 

The move came as a surprise for many as Goel was removed suddenly. Prashant Kumar, Additional Director General (Law and Order), has been given additional charge of the state police chief’s responsibilities until a new appointment is made.

A 1987-batch IPS officer, Goel, who had taken charge as DGP in July 2021. He has been now made Director General, Civil Defence. 

According to the UP Home department order issued on May 11, Goel has been removed from the post for not taking interest in departmental duties, inaction and disregard for government work.

It was also noted by and reported in media earlier that Goel did not address important press briefings. ADG Prashant Kumar had addressed the press with Additional Chief Secretary Awanish Kumar Awasthi recently.

Goel, a resident of Muzaffarnagar, is an engineering graduate from IIT Delhi. He has been the SP of Azamgarh and the SSP of Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Saharanpur and Meerut. Goel has also been the DIG of Kanpur, Agra and Bareilly. Apart from this, Goel has also been IG in ITBP, and BSF. He has also been ADG Railway in UP, CBCID and ADG Law and Order of UP in Akhilesh Yadav’s government.

Following Goel’s removal as DGP, names of frontrunners for the top job have started making the rounds: Rajendra Pal Singh (DG, Police Training); R K Vishwakarma (DG, UP Police Recruitment & Promotion Board); Devendra Singh Chauhan (DG, Intelligence); Anand Kumar (DG, Prison); and Anil Agrawal (on Central deputation).

Among the front runners, DG RK Vishwakarma is expected to be one of the top choices of the UP Government for the appointment of DGP UP.