| Speculations are rife that Uttar Pradesh would again get an acting director general of police (DGP) for the fourth consecutive time. The current acting DGP, Vijaya Kumar, is set to retire on January 31. UP Police sources say the state is likely to get an acting DGP for the fourth consecutive time. However, in the wake of concern for appointment of acting police chiefs in many states, including UP, there is a buzz that Kumar would hand over his charge to DG (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar till a full-time DGP is finalised by the government. In 2022, a Delhi-based lawyer named Brajesh Singh challenged the appointment of acting DGPs, calling it a violation of a Supreme Court order. In the contempt petition filed before the apex court, Singh challenged the appointment of acting DGPs in UP and Punjab. In 2006, the Supreme Court had said in one of its judgments that there was no such concept of an acting DGP. Moreover, the apex court had stated that DGPs should have a minimum tenure of two years as it was necessary to protect the DGP office from political influences, the petition stated. Sources said that if the UP government wanted to appoint a full-time DGP on the basis of seniority and other criteria, they would suggest the names of three senior most IPS officers and a name had to be finalised within 72 hours of the DGPs retirement. A 1987-batch IPS officer of UP cadre, Mukul Goel tops the list of those who fit the bill. However, after UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath removed Goel from the post on May 11, 2022 for inefficiency and negligence, he was considered out of contention, the sources said. Going by the present situation, 1988-batch IPS officer Anand Kumar, who is currently serving as the Director General of Crime Branch (CB), CID, is being seen as the topmost contender. Kumar is scheduled to retire on April 30, 2024. The sources said he had served as the additional director general of police, law and order, for a long time under the present UP government. However, with less than six months left for retirement, he could only be made an acting DGP. On the basis of seniority, another name on the list is that of 1989-batch IPS officer PV Ramasastry, who is currently posted as the DG of Border Security Force (BSF). Earlier, he served as the ADG, law and order. The date of his superannuation is May 31, 2025. Ramasastry is originally from Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh. He handled the responsibility of inter-agency training for the CBI directors position for years. However, the sources said he would not like to come to UP after heading the topmost paramilitary organisation. Next in line is 1990-batch IPS officer SN Sabat, who is currently posted as DG, Jails. The sources said that being the blue-eyed boy of the current dispensation, Prashant Kumar, an IPS officer from the 1990 batch presently posted as the DG, law and order, might take over as the acting DGP, and would also oversee the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, if the Election Commission did not raise any objection. It may be mentioned that Prashant Kumar received the Tamil Nadu cadre after he was chosen for the IPS, but he was moved to the UP cadre in 1994 after marrying IAS  officer Dimple Verma, who is also from the UP cadre. Vijaya Kumar, who is retiring on Wednesday, succeeded Dr Raj Kumar Vishwakarma, who had been the acting DGP since March 31, 2023. Vishwakarma also served as the Chairman of UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board. Vishwakarma had taken charge from then acting DGP Devendra Singh Chauhan, who served for almost 11 months before his retirement. The Yogi government had appointed Chauhan after removing Goel following charges of inaction and lack of interest towards work. Goel, the last regular DGP in the state, is presently posted as the DG, Civil Defence, and he is set to superannuate in February.

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