Rakesh Asthana, former CBI Special Director, appointed Delhi Police Commissioner

Rakesh Asthana, a senior IPS officer of Gujarat Cadre and Ex-CBI Special Director, has been appointed as the Commissioner of Delhi Police.

As per the order by the Ministry of Home Affairs on July 27, 2021, Asthana, who has been currently serving as the Director-General of Border Security Force (BSF), will join as a Delhi Police Commissioner, with an immediate effect.

The appointment of Rakesh Asthana has come just days before his superannuation on July 31, 2021.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) also extended Asthana’s service initially for a period of 1 year beyond the date of his superannuation on July 31 or until the further order, whichever is earlier.

Rakesh Asthana appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner

(file photo) pic.twitter.com/FhsLoQRAdB

— ANI (@ANI) July 27, 2021

What is different with the appointment of Rakesh Asthana?

While clearing his appointment as the Commissioner of Delhi Police, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet which is headed by PM Modi, also approved the inter-cadre deputation from Gujarat to AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory) Cadre.

This is one of the very few instances when an IPS Officer outside of AGMUT cadre has been appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner. Usually, an officer belonging to the AGMUT Cadre is appointed for the post.

Who is Rakesh Asthana?

• Rakesh Asthana is a 1984-batch Indian Police Service Officer of Gujarat Cadre. He has served as a Special Director of CBI.

• The officer has served in various capacities in Gujarat Police apart from serving in various ranks of the CBI.

• He was also the DG of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS).

• Rakesh Asthana was appointed as the Chief of Border Security Force (BSF) in August 2020. He was also holding the additional charge of the head of the Narcotics Control Bureau.

Rakesh Asthana’s tenure in CBI:

During his sting in the Central Bureau of Investigation in 2018, Asthana was engaged in an unsavory spat with the then Director of CBI Alok Verma. Both of them had levelled allegations of corruption against each other.

The officers were later removed from the Central Probe Agency by the Government and Rakesh Asthana was subsequently cleared of all the charges.