Team News Riveting
New Delhi, August 1
Sanjay Arora, the 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, today took over as the Commissioner of Delhi Police.
He was heading the paramilitary force ITBP before being appointed Delhi police commissioner on Sunday. He succeeded Rakesh Asthana, a Gujarat-cadre IPS officer, who retired on Sunday.
Arora has a gallantry service record and has been the part of Tamil Nadu police’s special task force (SFT) that hunted down forest brigand Veerappan. He was the Superintendent of Police of the force that execute the operation that was meticulously planned by IPS K Vijay Kumar.
He was awarded the chief minister’s gallantry medal for bravery. Besides Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala police were also chasing Veerappan who dodged security forces for years. Arora served as Coimbatore police commissioner between 2002 and 2004.
Having served in CRPF and BSF, Arora had played an important role in setting up the Special Security Group (SSG) to provide cover to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu during the heyday of the LTTE.
The 57-year-old IPS officer will be the second successive non-AGMUT-cadre IPS officer to head the Delhi police and the third since the Delhi Police Act was passed in 1978 and the commissioner system was established. The Delhi police function under the Union home ministry.
Arora will continue till further orders. He is due for retirement in 2025.
