Who is IPS Officer Sanjay Arora, the New Commissioner of Delhi Police?

Sanjay Arora will replace IPS officer Rakesh Asthana starting 1 August.

IPS officer Sanjay Arora had been serving as the DG of the Indi-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) since 2021.

(Photo: PTI)

IPS officer Sanjay Arora has been appointed as the new Commissioner of Police, Delhi. He is all set to take charge of the Capital's police force from Monday, 1 August, as stated in an order passed by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.

Arora will replace Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana, whose farewell ceremonial parade was organised at the New Police Lines in Delhi's Kingsway Camp at 4 pm on Sunday.

Outgoing Commissioner of Police, Delhi, Rakesh Asthana takes salute during the Farewell Ceremonial Parade, at New Police Lines.

(Photo: Accessed by The Quint)

Arora had been serving as the Director-General (DG) of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) since last year. IPS officer SL Thaosen, DG of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), will take additional charge of DG ITBP.

The MHA has approved the inter-cadre deputation of Arora to the Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, whose officers serve in the Delhi Police.

Arora was part of task force that chased forest brigand Veerappan

Arora is a 1988 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS officer. This is the third time in recent history that an officer from outside AGMUT cadre has been brought to head Delhi's police force.

An electrical and electronics degree graduate from Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur, Arora has previously served as the Superintendent of Police (SP), Special Task Force Tamil Nadu, which chased forest brigand Veerappan. He was awarded the Chief Minister's gallantry medal for bravery during this stint, reported news agency PTI.

He also played an important role in formation of Special Security Group, which was set up to provide security to the Chief Minster of Tamil Nadu in 1991.

Arora then took charge as Commandant in ITBP from 1997 to 2002, which was followed by his stint as the Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore city from 2002 to 2004.

Arora also served as the Additional Commissioner (Crime & Headquarters) and Addition Commissioner (Traffic) with Chennai City police. He was later appointed as ADGP (Operations) and ADGP (Administration) in Tamil Nadu police.

He has also served as Inspector General (IG) of the Border Security Force (BSF) and also held senior posts in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), before joining the ITBP last year.

(With inputs from PTI.)