Hyderabad:
Ending a day-long suspense, Andhra Padesh Government finally issued an order appointing Indian Police Service Officer of the 1977 batch K Aravinda Rao as the new Director General of State Police.
He takes the place of R R Girish Kumar who retired today from service on attaining the age of superannuation.
Aravinda Rao is currently the Director General of State, Anti-Corruption Bureau. He was the Additional Director General of State Intelligence Department when Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was Chief Minister and also held important posts like the Additional Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, Inspector General of Police (Greyhounds) and IGP (Crime Investigation Department).
There was an intense competition for the DGP's post as a few officers senior to Aravinda Rao and a couple of his batch mates too were in the race.
Principal Secretary (Home) P Gautam Kumar, Director General of Special Protection Force A Sivasanker, DG of Vigilance and Enforcement Department and Additional Director General of Police (Logistics) Umesh Kumar were short-listed for the DGP's post along with Aravinda Rao.
Though Chief Minister K Rosaiah was said to have cleared Aravinda Rao's name for the DGP's post last evening, a formal order was not issued keeping everyone guessing.