Sanjay Arora after Rakesh Asthana – Why 'outsiders' only qualifying as Delhi's police commissioner

New Delhi: In a surprise move, the government on Sunday appointed another ‘outsider’ as the commissioner of police in Delhi.

Sanjay Arora, a 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was serving as chief of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), which guards the Indo-China border, when the government picked him to serve as the next CP of Delhi, replacing Rakesh Asthana, who too had come from Gujarat cadre to lead the police in the national capital.

For the last two days, fierce speculation was on that Rakesh Asthana is getting a second extension in service and he will continue to remain the commissioner of police for at least another six months. On Saturday many news outlets reported too that Asthana’s extension orders have been cleared by the government. 

Asthana was slated to retire on July 31 last year as the chief of the Border Security Force, the central police organisation entrusted with guarding the Indo-Pakistan and Indo-Bangladesh border, but four days before retirement, the government gave him an extension in service for a year and appointed him as the CP of Delhi by changing his cadre from Gujarat to Union Territories. 

Even at the time of his appointment, it was speculated that he would remain the CP for at least two years and thus rumour mills were doing overtime that Asthana is likely to get another extension in service. Asthana was an IPS officer of the 1984 batch.

But on Sunday first indication that Rakesh Asthana is not getting another extension came in the form of a message relayed to senior Delhi Police officers inviting them to the farewell parade of the incumbent CP.

In the afternoon, the government changed the cadre of Sanjay Arora from Tamil Nadu to Union Territories and appointed him the CP. Arora is slated to superannuate on July 31, 2025, giving him a tenure of three years if he continues to head the city police.

“But Arora’s appointment also shows the lack of trust in the abilities of a current lot of señior officers in the Delhi Police. First Asthana and then Arora, the city police have never seen two outsiders as the CP consecutively. In between there was a rumour that the current chief of Jammu and Kashmir police, Dilbagh Singh too might be brought to Delhi as CP,” said a senior IPS officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

Arora has done his engineering from Jaipur and served in his cadre as well as at the centre in past. He was commissioner of Coimbatore in the cadre and served in BSF and CRPF also before being appointed as the chief of ITBP last year. 

“Arora is coming in to fill the big shoes of Asthana who had the confidence of top guns in the government. There is already speculation that Asthana might get another meaty assignment,” said another IPS officer who too spoke on the condition of anonymity. 

Surprisingly, Asthana did manage to keep his relations cordial with the senior Aam Aadmi Party leaders in the capital. 

Those who keep track of AAP's style of working and thinking say he was very cordial when an AAP delegation had gone to meet him when one of the party legislators allegedly got a threatening call from a gangster. Besides, they say Asthana acted in a fair manner during the Rajendra Nagar assembly by-poll allowing a road show by the party leaders.

“He was also gracious in his conduct during the chaotic oath-taking ceremony of the VK Saxena as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. AAP leaders say Asthana behaved like a commissioner of police,” said a source. 

With Asthana finally hanging boot as a police officer and Arora replacing him as CP, now there is a vacancy to be filled at the ITBP. As of now, the government has given additional charge of ITBP to the Sashastra Seema Bal chief SL Thaosen. 

“Many senior officers are awaiting posting at the centre with the 1989 batch IPS officers also being promoted to the top rank of Director General at the centre. Now there is a chance for them to get a posting befitting their rank,” said the IPS officer quoted above.