When Rajesh Kumar took charge as the Director General of Police of Arunachal Pradesh on November 6, 2026, he brought with him a career shaped by some of the country’s most demanding policing environments. From North Kashmir and Jammu to the operational command of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), his professional journey has involved field responsibilities, specialised security assignments and senior leadership roles.
A 1995-batch IPS officer, Kumar originally belonged to the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir cadre, which became part of the AGMUT cadre following the reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir. He holds a Master’s degree in Arts and comes from Rajasthan. Over three decades in service, he has worked in both the state police and one of India’s largest central armed police forces.
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Building His Career in Jammu and Kashmir
Kumar’s years in the Jammu and Kashmir Police included assignments in two distinct and strategically important regions of the former state.
He served as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the North Kashmir Range, headquartered in Baramulla. The range covers a region where policing responsibilities have involved counter-insurgency, public order and security management. The assignment placed him in a key supervisory position in a sensitive part of Kashmir.
In March 2013, he was appointed Inspector General of Police (IGP), Jammu Zone, succeeding Dilbag Singh. The posting brought him responsibility for policing across the Jammu Zone, adding another significant field command to his experience.
Kumar also served as Inspector General of the Special Security Group (SSG), Jammu and Kashmir. The SSG is a specialised security formation, and the assignment added experience in security arrangements and protection responsibilities to his policing career.
These postings gave him experience across both the Kashmir and Jammu regions, involving different operational and administrative demands.
Moving to the CRPF
In 2018, Kumar moved to the Central Reserve Police Force on central deputation. He joined the force as an Inspector General in March that year, beginning a long association with the CRPF.
His next major assignment brought him back to the Kashmir security environment. In June 2019, he was appointed IG, CRPF (Operations), Kashmir, succeeding Zulfqar Hassan. The posting came just months after the February 2019 Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
As the officer responsible for the force’s operational leadership in Kashmir, Kumar held the position during a particularly sensitive period for security agencies in the region. The role involved the operational responsibilities of a large force deployed in a challenging internal security environment.
His CRPF career, however, was not limited to field operations. In March 2023, he was posted as IG (Administration) at the CRPF Directorate. The move brought him into the force’s central administrative leadership, where responsibilities extended beyond operational deployment.
He was subsequently elevated to the rank of Additional Director General (ADG). By 2026, he was serving as ADG, CRPF’s Jammu and Kashmir Zone, overseeing a major operational formation with personnel engaged in counter-insurgency, law-and-order and other internal security duties.
In September 2026, Kumar was elevated to Special Director General of the CRPF on an in-situ basis. The appointment was for two years from the date of assumption of charge or until further orders, whichever was earlier. It placed him among the senior-most officers in the force.
Recognition During a Long Career
Kumar’s service has also been recognised through three police decorations: the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry in 2010, the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2011 and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2018.
Together, these honours span gallantry, meritorious service and distinguished service. They mark different stages of a career that has included field policing, specialised security responsibilities and senior command assignments.
A New Responsibility in the Northeast
His tenure in the CRPF came to an end in November 2026. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet approved his premature repatriation to his parent AGMUT cadre on November 2. A day later, the Ministry of Home Affairs appointed him DGP of Arunachal Pradesh, transferring his batchmate Shiv Darshan Singh Jamwal to Delhi.
Kumar assumed charge on November 6, taking over the leadership of a police force with more than 15,000 personnel.
The new assignment places him in a state where policing involves a distinctive mix of geographical, border and community-related challenges. Arunachal Pradesh’s extensive international borders, difficult terrain and dispersed settlements make coordination, mobility and local engagement important aspects of police administration.
His immediate priorities will also include maintaining public order amid tensions surrounding the proposed Siang Upper Multipurpose Project, strengthening community policing and addressing concerns such as drug abuse.
For Kumar, the move from the CRPF’s senior leadership to the top police post in Arunachal Pradesh marks another chapter in a career that has moved across different institutions and security environments. Having served in North Kashmir, led the Jammu Zone, handled CRPF operations in Kashmir and occupied senior positions at the force headquarters, he now takes charge of policing in India’s easternmost frontier state.
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