Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government on Wednesday appointed Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Prashant Kumar as the new acting director general of police (DGP) (law and order). He will replace the present acting DGP Vijay Kumar, who is retiring today.
A 1990 batch IPS officer, Prashant has over three decades of experience in several important posts, including additional DG, law and order and additional DG of Meerut zone.
Senior state government officials said the order undersigned by the principal home secretary, Sanjay Prasad, had mentioned that Prashant Kumar would also hold the additional charge of acting DGP till the permanent appointment is done for the coveted post.
Along with the acting state police chief, he will also hold the post of DG (economic offences wing), said the order, adding no extra wages would be paid for it.
This is the fourth consecutive time UP has got an acting police chief. No full-time DGP has been appointed since the removal of Mukul Goel on May 11, 2022.
Following his appointment, Prashant met chief minister Yogi Adityanath at the latter’s residence, after which he took over the baton from the outgoing acting DGP.
His appointment as the acting DGP at present is a major jolt to other front runners, including four DG rank 1989 batch officers and nine DG rank officers of his batch, an official said.
Another official said Prashant was the officer “considered to be the main person behind complying with the state government’s zero-tolerance policy against crime and mafia as well as providing absolute independence in acting against criminal elements”.
According to the official, the state has not appointed a full-time DGP since the removal of the 1987 batch IPS officer Mukul Goel on May 11, 2022, much before his superannuation in February 2024, following allegations of inaction and lack of interest towards work. Goel is currently posted as DG (civil defence).
For the post of full-time or permanent DGP, the state government sends the list of senior-most IPS officers (with minimum service period of six months left) to the Union home ministry and different stakeholders, including the Union Public Service Commission chairman to further decide the names of three officers, per norms, a senior official said.
