Anil Kant to retire in June; Who will be next DGP? Padmakumar or Darvesh

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: As state police chief Anil Kant will retire on June 30, steps have been taken to find his successor. The police headquarters has prepared a list of senior officers who are interested in becoming DGP, as per the instructions of the home department. It will be forwarded to the central government through the Public Administration Department. The list should reach the centre 3 months before the current chief retires.

ADGP K Padmakumar of police headquarters or Crime Branch ADGP Shaikh Darvesh Sahib is likely to be the next DGP. Padmakumar has a tenure till April 2025 and Shaikh Darvesh till July 2024. Although Nitin Aggarwal, who is the Additional Director of CRPF, is senior to Padmakumar, he could head either CRPF or BSF if he is soon empanelled as DGP at the Centre.

IPS officers with 30 years of service will be considered for the post of DGP. There are 8 eligible OFFICERS. A committee consisting of UPSC Chairman, Union Home Secretary, Chief of one of the Central Forces, Chief Secretary of state and DGP will prepare a three-member final panel from this and forward it for appointment. From this, the state government should appoint the police chief. The Supreme Court has ordered that the appointees should not be changed for two years. The state also has the power to extend the term up to two years.

Although Harinath Mishra in Intelligence Bureau has service till July 2025 and Ravada Chandrasekhar till July 2026, both of them informed the government last time not to consider them for the DGP post. Intelligence chief TK Vinod Kumar also has a chance if he is included in the final panel. He is close to the Chief Minister and has a term till August 2025.

Eligible officers to become DGP

Nitin Aggarwal, K Padmakumar, Shaikh Darvesh Sahib, Harinath Mishra, Ravada Chandrasekhar, Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi, TK Vinod Kumar, Yogesh Gupta

5 DGPs are retiring

5 DGPs including Anil Kant are retiring in the coming months. B Sandhya and S Anandakrishnan will retire in May, Anil Kant in June and Tomin Thachankary in July. Arunkumar Sinha, senior in the Kerala cadre and head of the SPG in charge of Prime Minister's security, will retire in May. ADGPs K Padmakumar, Shaikh Darvesh, Sanjeeb Kumar Patjoshi and TK Vinod Kumar will get DGP rank.