S N Shrivastava to be next Delhi police commissioner

Three days after bringing back him from CRPF to handle communal riots in the capital, the Government on Friday gave senior IPS officer S N Shrivastava additional charge as the Delhi Police Commissioner with effect from Sunday after incumbent Amulya Patnaik retires.

An official order was issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), which said he will hold the additional charge of the Commissioner until further orders. He is likely to get full charge of Commissioner soon.

Shrivastava, a 1985-batch IPS officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal, Goa, Meghalaya, Union Territories) cadre, was on Tuesday night and posted as Special Commissioner (Law and Order) after repatriating him from CRPF where he was serving as Special Director General (Training). 

Shrivastava, who had earlier held several positions in Delhi Police, was handpicked up by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval to handle the situation in North East Delhi as there were allegations that the police was not being able to quell violence.

"My primary job will be to ensure that there is a feeling of security and people should also feel police are there for them," Shrivastava told reporters while on a visit to riot-hit areas in north-east Delhi.

He will take charge from Patnaik, who demits office on Saturday. Patnaik, who was to retire last month, was given a one-month extension as Delhi was going to Assembly polls then.

Police had faced flak and allegations that it did not act with alacrity in controlling the situation. Patnaik's tenure will also be remembered for an unprecedented protest outside Police Headquarters by lower-level officers accusing him of not taking a strong after police personnel were attacked in Tiz Hazari court complex last year.