Exclusive: Delhi Police Set for Major Reshuffle as Batchmate-Seniority Tangle Comes to a Head?
With the BRICS summit now behind it and the recent minor reshuffle already in motion, Delhi Police is bracing for a much bigger shake-up at the top, top sources indicate.
The ACB Chief Puzzle
The trigger appears to be Vikramjeet's transfer out of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to Arunachal Pradesh. To fill the vacancy, the top brass is reportedly considering an unusual but not unprecedented move: elevating the post itself, from Joint CP rank to Special CP rank. This wouldn't be a first: Special CP S.K. Gautam once held the ACB charge at that level. One key name is Special CP (Law & Order) Neeraj Thakur, currently seen as the frontrunner to head ACB next.
Garima Bhatnagar's Quiet Stand
In a rare instance of a senior officer pushing back, Special CP Garima Bhatnagar has reportedly declined a proposed shift, including acentral deputation to BPR&D as ADG, top sources add that she wishes to serve out her final year (she retires next year in April) under her batchmate. Whether this holds is uncertain, though: top sources note that in Delhi Police's recent history, batchmates have almost always been moved out together, rarely allowed to serve concurrently until the end.
The Puducherry Move
Special CP Rajesh Khurana is tipped to become the next DGP of Puducherry, taking over from DGP Shalini Singh, whose tenure has concluded and who is expected to return to Delhi.
The Seniority Knot
This is where things get complicated. Robin Hibu, senior by one batch to Delhi Police Commissioner Anurag, also needs to be accommodated elsewhere to avoid a hierarchy clash. He is most likely headed to Delhi Police Housing as Managing Director.
According to sources, this batchmate-and-seniority tangle has been quietly straining Delhi Police's internal hierarchy for a while. But with BRICS-related coordination duties now wound up, a clear administrative window has opened, and the reshuffle is expected to be formalized in the coming weeks.
