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Anil Kant to be new police chief of Kerala
Anil Kant is reported to the be first Dalit officer on the chief post in the police department of the southern state.
Senior IPS officer Anil Kant, who is presently serving as the Road Safety Commissioner in Kerala will be the new chief of the state police, PTI quoted government sources as saying. Kant will succeed incumbent DGP Loknath Behera, who retired on Wednesday. He is reported to the be first Dalit officer on the chief post in the police department of the southern state.
Kant is a 1988 batch officer and was picked by chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan for the top post from the list of officers recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Kant's selection came as a surprise as media reports have predicted vigilance director Sudesh Kumar and Fire and Rescue Services director general B Sandhya as the primary contenders of the post.
Hailing from New Delhi, Kant began his police career in the Kerala cadre as an assistant director in the Intelligence Bureau. This was followed by his stints under various designations in the state as the chief of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, Prisons and Correctional Services and Fire Force. He has also received the President's police medal for meritorious services.
Kant is still additional director general of police (ADGP) and would be promoted to the rank only by the end of the next month, PTI reported quoting officials aware of the development. Interestingly, he has only seven months of service but may get an extension according to the new guidelines relating to the appointment of the state police chief.
Meanwhile, Behera during his farewell stressed the need to regulate drone usage in Kerala in view of the recent terror attack in Jammu airport using the unmanned aerial vehicle. Retiring after 36 years of service, Behera, who is an Odisha native said he is a Malayalee at heart and would continue to wear 'mundu', as part of his love for the state.
(With inputs from PTI)
