NSG commando, man whom Veerappan feared, is now the Delhi Police Commissioner!

New Delhi: A hard taskmaster and renowned official adept in handling ‘difficult situations and cases’, Director General of ITBP Sanjay Arora, a 1998 batch Tamil Nadu cadre IPS and brother of Principal Secretary (Finance) in Rajasthan government - Akhil Arora - has been appointed as the Commissioner of Delhi Police. A senior IPS officer, Sanjay Arora is known for his flamboyant image in the police. It can be guessed from the fact that it was he who chased the sandalwood smuggler Veerappan and forced him to be confined to the forest. Arora was awarded the Chief Minister’s Gallantry Medal for bravery during that tenure.

In fact, the appointment has stunned everyone as Arora came out as the ‘dark horse’ in the race to the coveted position since word in the bureaucratic circles was that the outgoing Commissioner, Rakesh Asthana, could be given an extension, while several other senior officials were also, reportedly, lobbying for the post. Meanwhile, on Sunday, Asthana was given a grand farewell from Delhi PHQ. It was during his tenure that a whopping 25,000 cops were given promotion which was one of the major feats of his tenure amongst several others. Notably, Asthana was given an extension of one year in service and handed the reins of Delhi police on July 29, 2021. Interestingly, it is now believed that something ‘big’ may be in offing for Asthana in the near future.

Sanjay Arora, a 1988 batch IPS officer, is an Engineering graduate from Malaviya National Institute of Technology Jaipur (MNIT), Jaipur. He has also been awarded the Antriksh Suraksha Medal. He held various posts in Tamil Nadu Police. He has been the SP of the Special Task Force, where he achieved significant success against the Veerappan gang. In the year 1991, he even took special training from NSG, one of nation’s elite security forces. This is the third time that an officer from outside the AGMUT cadre, has been made the Chief of Delhi Police. Arora, a 1988 batch IPS, will take charge on Monday. He was appointed as the DG ITBP in August and Delhi Police Commissioner. His tenure is till July 2025.