NEW DELHI: Gyanendra Pratap SinghIPS officer of 1991 batch and currently managing director (DGP) of assam policehas been appointed as the new Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
CRPF Special Director General Vitul Kumar has been serving as CRPF chief since the retirement of incumbent Anish Dayal Singh on December 31, 2024. Sources told TOI that Singh may take charge at the CRPF headquarters. CRPF here after supervising security arrangements for Republic Day celebrations in Assam.
Singh’s appointment order dated January 18 states that he will serve a term till his retirement on November 30, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Meanwhile, Assam’s next DGP is likely to be named after Prime Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s return from South Korea and Japan, where he is visiting to invite investment in Assam. In terms of seniority, Harmeet Singh, a 1992-batch IPS officer and currently Special DGP (Headquarters) of Assam Police, is the next highest-ranking officer in the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Singh has worked in both Assam Police and central police organisations, including SPG and NIA. As inspector general of the NIA, he handled investigations into key terrorism cases related to J&K, including the 2019 Pulwama attack and the northeastern insurgency. However, his tenure in the NIA was cut short when the Home Ministry, in consultation with the Assam government, decided to send him to Assam in 2019 as Special Director General of Law and Order, to quell protests against the Law and Order Amendment Act. Citizenship in the state. .
Known for his ruthless approach against violent insurgent groups and organized crime, Singh is also a supporter of peace talks and has been instrumental in realizing the efforts of the Center and the Assam government to persuade rebels in regions of Assam that were once disturbed, including the Bodo territorial area. mountainous areas hosting Karbi-Anglong and Dimasa tribes, inter-border areas of Barak Valley and areas of Upper Assam with some presence of Ulfa (Independent) rebels, to surrender and join the mainstream. The successful efforts, led by the special branch of the Assam police and involving local pressure groups, have brought peace to most of these areas.
Singh also played a key role in reviving Assam Police’s special task force (STF) by ensuring posting of good officers to lead the crackdown against organized crime and elements working against national security.
As head of the Rhino Anti-Poaching Protection Task Force, Singh ensured strict implementation of anti-poaching measures, resulting in 2022 being the first year without any cases of poaching. As Special Director General (L&O) of Assam Police, he was also in charge of the vigilance and anti-corruption wing, and worked to clear the backlog of corruption cases, identifying those with disproportionate assets and pursuing them following due process of law. as part of a larger plan to rid Assam of corruption.
Recently, during the regime change in Bangladesh, Singh had overseen efforts to prevent any illegal infiltration attempts, while ensuring the safe return of Indians, particularly students, from the neighboring country.
Singh has two daughters, one of whom is an IPS officer. He is also very active on social media and has more than 2.1 lakh followers.