Amulya Patnaik replaces Alok Kumar Verma, who took over as CBI chief.
Amulya Kumar Patnaik has been appointed to succeed Alok Kumar Verma - who took over as CBI chief on January 19 - as Delhi Police Commissioner by the Union Home Ministry today. Mr Patnaik is a 1985 batch Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre IPS officer.
"Amulya Kumar Patnaik, IPS (AGMUT: 1985) has been appointed to the post of Commissioner of Police, Delhi from the date of actual assumption of the charge, in place of Shri Alok Kumar, IPS (AGMUT: 1979) who has been appointed as Director, CBU, till further orders," said an order released by the Centre.
Presently posted as Special Commissioner (Administration) in Delhi Police, Mr Patnaik was among the frontrunners for the position alongwith and he superseded two senior officers Deepak Mishra and Dharmendra Kumar.
Although Mr Patnaik - who hails from Odisha - a batch junior to Mr Mishra and Mr Kumar, he was apparently chosen due to his "clean" image, according to Indo-Asian News Service. He is a recipient of the President's Police medal for distinguished services as well as the Police medal for meritorious service.
Mr Mishra is now with the Central Reserve Police Force as an Additional Director General while Mr Kumar is an Additional DG with the Central Industrial Security Force. Both are 1984 batch IPS officers.
Alok Verma was appointed as CBI Director earlier this month for a two-year term. His appointment came in the wake of a huge controversy after activist Prashant Bhushan filed a petition against the appointment of Gujarat officer RK Asthana as acting CBI chief. Mr Verma had succeeded BS Bassi as Delhi Police Commissioner in February, 2016.
(with inputs from PTI and IANS)