New DGP and Adviser to Tamil Nadu

Mr. Ashok Kumar, a 1982 batch IPS officer, is the new Director-General of Police and head of the police force. He succeeded K. Ramanujam, who was heading the Tamil Nadu police since May 2011.

The outgoing DGP, who is completing his tenure, has been made Adviser to the government for one year or till the need for it ceases, whichever is earlier.

The decision on the new DGP was made after the Union Public Service Commission communicated its recommendations to the State government last week subsequent to the meeting of the Empanelment Committee. Apart from Mr Ashok Kumar, the names of R. Sekar (1981) and Anoop Jaiswal (1980) were also doing rounds for the post.

Though Mr. Ashok Kumar is due to retire in a few months, he will remain in office for a period of two years as per the Supreme Court guidelines in the Prakash Singh case. The apex court had ruled that an officer posted as the DGP of a State shall hold office for a minimum tenure of two years irrespective of the date of superannuation.

Mr. Ashok Kumar had served the CBI for about 18 years in different capacities. In May 2011 Mr. Ramanujam was promoted and posted as DGP (Intelligence) with full additional charge as the DGP (Law and Order).

In November 2012, just before his retirement, he was appointed DGP with a two-year tenure. Two different orders appointing the new DGP and Adviser were issued by Chief Secretary Mohan Verghese Chunkath.