1990 batch senior IPS officer and DGP of Telangana, Mr. Anjani Kumar, was suspended by Election Commission on counting day on 3 December. He was charged with violating the Model Code of Conduct.
This major action has been taken against Mr. Kumar amid counting of votes in Telangana. Now, Mr. Ravi Gupta, an IPS officer of 1990 batch, has been appointed as the new DGP of the state.
THE CHARGE
When, the counting for 5 states was going on on 3 December, in Telangana, it was almost clear that the Congress would be coming to power defeating the TRS. Top cop Anjani Kumar and other senior police officers went to meet Mr. Revanth Reddy, the Congress state president and front runner for the Chief Minister post, from Congress.
As soon as this video of the police officials’ meeting with the Congress president went viral on social media, the election commission took action and suspended Mr. Kumar.
The DGP along with Sanjay Jain, State Police Nodal Officer and Mahesh Bhagwat, Nodal (Expenditure), had met Revanth Reddy.
WHO IS ANJANI KUMAR
56 year old IPS officer Anjani Kumar hails from Bihar. He completed his basic education from Patna. Then, he went to prestigious St. Xavier’s in Patna and Kirori Mal College, Delhi University.
From his college days, he wanted to join the police department and had professed his love for donning the uniform in many interviews.
Born on 28 January, 1966, he joined the service in 1990 and got allotted the united Andhra Pradesh cadre. His first posting was in Jangaon in the Warrangal district in the undivided Andhra Pradesh.
During the height of Naxal attacks, a specific task force was formed by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Police to counter Naxalism, in which, IPS officer Anjani Kumar was also selected.
Mr. Kumar was a sportsman since his college days and played basketball and other games. He also won a Gold Medal in Judo at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy during his training days.
Known for his efficiency, Mr. Kumar has also won awards for his athletic prowess while serving as the Greyhounds’ special team leader. Not only this, he was the best horse rider of the batch. He won the Maharaja Cup of Tonk with his horsemanship. He was also the best swimmer of his batch. He won the RD Singh Cup in swimming.
In a career spanning 22 years, Mr. Kumar has worked in several districts and various posts. He has worked at various places like Warrangal, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad, Guntur and Prakasham. He also served with the United Nations in 1998-99 for which he was awarded the UN Peace Medal twice.
He was sent on International Deputation to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1998 on a UN Mission and was awarded medals twice for Peacekeeping Missions.
Mr. Kumar was also the DIG (Chief) Counter Intelligence Cell (2007), and Chief Of Greyhounds (2009) among other posts. He is said to be the longest-serving Hyderabad Commissioner of Police (3 years and 9 months) in the post-Nizam period.
After working as CP Hyderabad, he was posted as DG of the Anti Corruption of Bureau which he successfully handled till his posting as in-charge DGP and full charge of Head of Police Force in Telangana.
He took charge as DGP of Telangana on 22 December. He was posted in place of M Mahendra Reddy. Anjani Kumar has held the posts of Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, DG of Anti Corruption Bureau, Telangana and ADG, Telangana in his career as an IPS officer.
“That the Director General of Police Telangana opted to meet a contesting candidate out of a total of 2290 candidates and the star campaigner of one political party out of 16 political parties in the fray, with a flower bouquet at the residence of the candidate when the counting process was still underway, along with two or more senior police officers is a clear indication of malafide intention of seeking favour,” an EC official said.
