The Delhi Police brass underwent a significant reorganisation on Wednesday, with the appointment of new chiefs for the law and order, crime, and traffic divisions. The restructuring was carried out on the recommendation of the Police Establishment Board, headed by Commissioner Satish Golchha, and approved by Lieutenant Governor T S Sandhu.
Key Appointments in the Reshuffle
Senior IPS officers Neeraj Thakur and Devesh Chandra Srivastava have taken over the two zones of law and order. Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal has been appointed as the new head of the city's crime division, while Manish Agarwal will lead the traffic unit. Ajay Chaudhry has been given charge of the protective security division, and Atul Katiyar will head the vigilance unit. K Jagdesan has been moved to the role of special commissioner of police (intelligence), and Vijay Kumar has been assigned additional charge of the transport division alongside his existing portfolio of Reserve Armed Police.
Background of the Reshuffle
The changes come amid the transfer of former law and order chief Ravindra Singh Yadav, who has been appointed as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Andaman and Nicobar Islands after completing his two-year tenure in Delhi. Yadav had been handling both zones of law and order since Zone I chief Madhup Tiwari was transferred to Arunachal Pradesh ten days ago. Yadav is credited with effectively managing law and order in the Trans-Yamuna areas and outer Delhi localities like Alipur and Bawana, which are known for criminal gangs. During his tenure, the local police cracked several complex cases, including the murder of witness Rachna Yadav.
Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal, a 1997-batch IPS officer, has been given charge of the crime unit. He previously served in the Delhi Police's special cell, where the unit cracked high-profile cases such as the Sidhu Moose Wala murder and arrested most wanted gangster Deep Boxer from Mexico. Dhaliwal is expected to focus on cracking down on organised gangs.
Zone-Wise Appointments
Devesh Chandra Srivastava, a 1995-batch IPS officer who was overseeing the crime branch, will replace Yadav as special CP of Zone I, which covers north, northwest, central, and east Delhi. Known as a no-nonsense officer, Srivastava is expected to control the crime situation in northeast Delhi areas. Neeraj Thakur, a 1994-batch officer considered a hard taskmaster, will head Zone II, which includes key areas from south, west, and Lutyens' Delhi.
Traffic and Security Roles
Manish Agarwal, a 1996-batch officer, will step into the crucial traffic role. He is expected to streamline traffic situations and handle arrangements during the upcoming Indo-Africa summit. Agarwal was previously posted as special CP (intelligence). His batchmate Ajay Chaudhry will also handle security arrangements during the summit while revamping the VIP security wing responsible for protecting dignitaries and installations.
Additional Charges
David Lalrinsanga, a 1995-batch officer, will continue as special CP (operations, communications & PCR) and special unit for northeast residents. He has now been given the additional charge of the special unit for women and children.
All newly appointed officers, currently holding the rank of special commissioners, have been asked to take charge with immediate effect and roll out their action plans. Police chief Satish Golchha is likely to conduct a review meeting next week, and a few joint commissioner-rank officials may also be reshuffled in the coming days.
