Rakesh Asthana Appointed As New Delhi Police Commissioner

New Delhi: In a high-end rejig, former CBI special director Rakesh Asthana has been appointed as the new Delhi Police Commissioner. The information was shared through an official statement by the Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday evening.

According to a Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) order, Asthana will join as the Delhi Police Commissioner with immediate effect.

Asthana will be replacing Balaji Srivastava, who was given the additional charge of Delhi Police Commissioner in June this year.

The new Delhi top cop is a 1984-batch IPS officer of Gujarat cadre who is currently serving as the Director General of Border Security Forces (BSF).

Meanwhile, SS Seswal, Director General ITBP has been given additional charge of the post of DG, Border Security Force after Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner.

As per reports, Asthana’s appointment to the top post came just days before his superannuate on July 31. He will serve as Delhi Police Commissioner for a tenure of one year.

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This is one of the very few instances when an IPS officer outside of the AGMUT cadre has been appointed as the Delhi Police chief. It is being said that Asthana’s appointment to the top post has upset officials at the Delhi Police as he is considered to be an outsider. 

Usually, Delhi Commissioner’s post is given to someone belonging to the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre.

Prior to this, Asthana had served as the Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). During his stint in the CBI, he was engaged in an unsavoury spat with the then-CBI Director Alok Verma.

(With inputs from PTI)