1988 batch IPS officer Sanjay Arora of Tamil Nadu cadre, who was the DG of ITBP, has taken over as the Delhi Police Commissioner on Monday. He is the third IPS in entire history of Delhi Police system to have commanded the Delhi Police despite being a police officer from outside the ‘AGMUT’ (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre. The most special thing is that these three IPS have become Delhi Police Commissioners only during the NDA rule. First one was Ajay Raj Sharma who was given command in 1999, then Rakesh Asthana in 2021 and now Sanjay Arora has been made Delhi Police Commissioner. Former IPS officers said in a sarcastic style, now the post of Delhi Police Commissioner has become a ‘laboratory’. The ‘AGMUT’ cadre is being underestimated.

LK Advani did the first ‘experiment’

The Central Government has approved this inter-cadre deputation of IPS Sanjay Arora to the ‘AGMUT’ cadre from Tamil Nadu cadre. Earlier, in the year 2021, the Central Government had made BSF DG Rakesh Asthana as the Delhi Police Commissioner. Even at that time, the IPS of ‘AGMUT’ cadre was surprised to see the order of the Central Government. It is also not that there is a dearth of senior IPS officers in the ‘AGMUT’ cadre. So far, except three officers, all the police commissioners have been from the ‘AGMUT’ cadre. During 1999, the then NDA government, in which LK Advani was the Home Minister, made UP cadre IPS Ajay Raj Sharma as the Delhi Police Commissioner. According to an officer who retired from the rank of DG in Delhi Police, at that time things were not well at the higher level in the ‘AGMUT’ cadre. In the race to find a police commissioner, many officers had kept the rules of secrecy on hold. And inside things started coming out.

The then Union Home Minister LK Advani had handed over the command of Delhi Police Commissioner to Uttar Pradesh cadre IPS Ajay Raj Sharma for the purpose of pacifying such controversy. Although some officers of Delhi Police tried to mobilize after Sharma’s appointment, but in front of Ajay Raj Sharma’s strictness, they thought it better to sit still.

There was dispute in Delhi Police even during the time of Rakesh Asthana

Last year, when Rakesh Asthana who was Gujarat cadre IPS was about to retire as BSF DG, was given a one-year extension. And after this, he was posted as Commissioner of Delhi Police. Before that, Asthana had held the charge of DG of Narcotics Control Bureau and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security apart from Director General of BSF. Even then the situation in Delhi Police was not good. During the tenure of SN Srivastava of Delhi Police, there was a tussle between many senior officers. The CP himself was also accused. Complaints were sent to the Union Home Ministry. Keeping in mind the circumstances of that time, Rakesh Asthana was made the Commissioner of Delhi Police. However, even during his tenure, all the officers who were pulling each other’s legs sat silent. The reason was Asthana is well known not only to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, but also to PM Modi. Because of this, the IPS of ‘AGMUT’ cadre silently engaged in their work.

An attack on the interests of IPS of ‘AGMUT’ cadre

The former IPS points out, well that an officer with All India Service can be sent to any state. The way they come to the center on deputation, in the same way an officer of another cadre can become the Commissioner of Police of Delhi. There is nothing legally wrong with this. The questions that are being raised here are about the IPS officers of ‘AGMUT’ cadre. At present there are many senior IPS DG ranks. They also want to become the police chief. First Rakesh Asthana and now Sanjay Arora, so many IPS of the ‘AGMUT’ cadre who were themselves in the race to become the Commissioner of Police, will be dropped. Sanjay Arora’s tenure is also long. He will retire in 2025. This step is okay once in a while, but it is not right to develop it as a regular habit. It is also not that all the officers of the ‘AGMUT’ cadre are involved in the tussle, those who are deserving should get an opportunity to become the Commissioner of Police. You have to trust.