New Delhi: Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from the Tamil Nadu cadre, Sanjay Arora is Delhi’s new commissioner of police (CP). Arora takes over from Rakesh Asthana who retired Sunday.
Speaking to ThePrint about his policing plans for the national capital, Arora said, “We will focus on professional policing and maintenance of law and order, prevention of crime through increasing and enhanced use of technology. The police force will focus on sensitive policing for welfare of citizens and the welfare of the police force. I will have a clearer picture once I speak to my officers and then decide on specific areas of focus”.
Arora, from the 1988 IPS batch, was appointed the chief of the national capital’s police force by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Sunday, through inter cadre deputation. He took charge Monday, after being relieved from his post of Director General (DG), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) — a post to which he was appointed in August last year. S.L. Thaosen, DG Sashastra Seema Bal, will take over the additional charge of ITBP.
Arora, 57, holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Rajasthan. According to ITBP officials, after joining the IPS, he served in multiple capacities in Tamil Nadu — as superintendent of police (SP) of various districts and was also part of a special task force formed to tackle dacoit Veerappan and his gang. Arora was awarded the Chief Minister’s Gallantry Medal for Bravery and Heroic Action for his action against the dreaded dacoit gang.
According to ITBP officials, Arora had also been awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2004 and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014. He is said to have won several other awards, including the Police Special Duty Medal, Antrik Suraksha Padak and UN Peacekeeping Medal, among others.
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Stints in Tamil Nadu police, ITBP & CRPF
Sources in the ITBP told ThePrint that in 1991, Arora —after receiving training from the National Security Guard (NSG) — played a crucial role in forming the special security group (SSG) to provide security to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, amid tensions and security threat from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
He has served as the commandant of the ITBP between 1997 and 2002, on deputation. His stints in the ITBP also included the post of instructor at the training academy in Mussoorie, between 2000 and 2002.
He has also served as the commissioner of police of Coimbatore city between 2002 and 2004 and the deputy inspector general of police and deputy director of vigilance and anti-corruption of Villupuram range in Tamil Nadu.
Arora has also held the position of additional commissioner (crime and headquarters) and additional commissioner (traffic) in the Chennai Police. He was later appointed as assistant director general of police (ADGP, operations) and ADGP (administration) in Tamil Nadu Police.
The new Delhi Police chief has also served as the inspector general (IG) (special operations) of the Border Security Force (BSF),IG of the Chhattisgarh sector of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and IG (Operations) of the force. He has also held the positions of additional director general (headquarter and operations) CRPF and special DG of Jammu and Kashmir CRPF.
(Edited by Poulomi Banerjee)
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