Speculation in Chhattisgarh over DGP appointment

The appointment of the Director General of Police (DGP) in Chhattisgarh has taken an interesting turn over the last few weeks. Even though Giridhari Nayak, a 1983 batch IPS officer of the State cadre with an impeccable career record was expected to bag the post, a fervent search to find a suitable officer for the top job has begun.

Local media reports suggest a clear rivalry between ADG (Intelligence) Mukesh Gupta and Mr. Nayak, who holds the post of DG-Prisons. Both the officers refused to talk to The Hindu about the issue.

A section of senior officers of the Chhattisgarh police believes that Mr. Nayak is the most suitable man for the position. He has outstanding grasp over the subject of left-wing extremism – not only as an officer but also as an academic, said one of his colleagues in the police headquarters. He has written what is perhaps the most comprehensive book on Maoism,

Neo-Naxal Challenge , analysing political praxis, ground-level alignments of the naxalites and the practical problems of policing, the officer added.

A reason that has been stated for the opposition to Mr. Nayak’s appointment is his letter last year to the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, strongly criticising the functioning of the State Intelligence Branch (SIB), headed by Mr. Gupta.

In his letter, written soon after the massacre of Congress leaders in Jiram Ghati, Mr. Nayak had said: “The present predicament of the SIB compels me to say that [DIG Deepanshu] Kabra and Gupta are [the] most unsuitable officers to handle the desk of [the] SIB. Indiscipline and foolhardiness of erecting empires within the department is enervating the effectiveness of the police force…It is requested to take action against the erring officers and redeem the command.” Mr. Gupta called the letter “unnecessary” and sent a strong rebuttal.

Differences between the two officers has compelled the government to search for a DG from the neighbouring State. Informally, a few senior officers of the Madhya Pradesh (M.P.) cadre have been sounded. The names of Surendra Singh, a 1980 batch IPS officer of M.P., presently DG (Jail), and Rishi Shukla, a 1983 batch officer, are making the rounds. Other contenders for the post are 1981 batch officers Anil Dhasmana — who is in the Cabinet secretariat as an additional director — and Anand Kumar — who is in the Intelligence Branch (IB) as Special Director. These officers are yet to indicate if they are ready to leave central postings to work in a small State with the problem of internal insurgency, according to sources in the Home Department.

The new DGP will have to be selected by the end of the week as the incumbent DGP, Ram Niwas, is retiring on January 31. Police officers believe that the decision will largely depend on how Chief Minister Raman Singh chooses between the exigencies of policing in naxal areas and confrontations within the department.

The position of DGP demands not only robust policing skills but also extensive expertise in the management of daily personnel. The job is additionally difficult in Chhattisgarh as about thousand armed left-wing guerrillas control one-third of at least five southern districts of the State.