Lucknow: Discussions have intensified over the appointment of the next Uttar Pradesh Police Chief as the tenure of current DGP Prashant Kumar (1990-batch IPS officer) is set to end this month. Sources reveal that no formal proposal has yet been sent to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for a full-time Director General of Police (DGP) appointment, making it unlikely that a new head will be installed within the short 10-day timeframe.
Last year, the UP government approved the “Director General of Police, Uttar Pradesh (Chief of Police Force of Uttar Pradesh) Selection and Appointment Rules 2024” to streamline DGP selection. However, the selection committee has not yet been constituted, adding to the uncertainty. Given these circumstances, Prashant Kumar is expected to continue as acting DGP for the fifth consecutive term.
There is also speculation about a possible extension of Prashant Kumar’s service. Sulkhan Singh, the first DGP appointed after BJP’s 2017 government formation, has already received an extension. Along with Prashant Kumar, IPS officers PV Ramasastri (DG Jail) and Dr. Sanjay M. Tarde (DG Telecom), all from the 1990 batch, are also due to complete their tenures by May 31.
If Prashant Kumar does not receive an extension, other senior IPS officers like BK Maurya and MK Bashal (both DG Home Guard, 1990 batch) might be considered for acting DGP. However, seniority also favors officers Sandeep Sanluke, Daljit Singh Chaudhary, and Renuka Mishra, all from the same batch. Notably, Prashant Kumar ranks lower than them in seniority.
Following Prashant Kumar in the seniority list is IPS officer Tilottama Verma (1990 batch), whose tenure lasts until November. Other strong contenders for the DGP post include Rajiv Krishna and Alok Sharma (1991 batch IPS), currently DG SPG and DG Vigilance respectively.
Since 2017, the BJP government in UP has appointed eight DGPs. Sulkhan Singh was the first, followed by OP Singh, Hitesh Chandra Awasthi, and Mukul Goyal as full-time DGPs. Dr. Devendra Singh Chauhan, Dr. RK Vishwakarma, Vijay Kumar, and Prashant Kumar have served as acting DGPs during this period.
With no committee yet formed and formal proposals pending, the state seems poised to continue with an acting DGP in place, prolonging administrative uncertainty at the top of the UP police force.
