NEW DELHI: Sanjay Arora, the 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer from Tamil Nadu cadre, has been appointed as the Commissioner of Police Delhi. He will take charge of the Delhi Police tomorrow i.e. Monday, August 1, 2022
Orders for his appointment were issued on Sunday by the competent authority after the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by the Prime Minister approved the inter-cadre transfer of Sanjay Arora, currently serving as Director-General of Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).
Incidentally, he is the 2nd IPS officer in succession to have been given the reins of Delhi Police despite not belonging to the parent Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT). Incumbent Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana is from the Gujarat cadre.
Arora is a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Malviya National Institute of Technology, Jaipur (Rajasthan).
After joining the IPS, he served in various capacities in Tamil Nadu Police. He was awarded CM’s Gallantry Medal for Bravery and Heroic Action for his significant success against the dreaded sandalwood smuggler Veerappan during his stint as a Superintendent of Police (SP), Special Task Force.
After being trained by the elite National Security Guards (NSG), Arora, in 1991, played a pivotal role in the forming of the Special Security Group (SSG) to provide security to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu during the heydays of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). He also served as the Superintendent of Police of various districts of Tamil Nadu.
Arora also served in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) on deputation as Commandant from 1997 to 2002. He commanded a border guarding ITBP Battalion in Matli, Uttarakhand from 1997 to 2000.
As an instructor, Arora had made remarkable contributions in the field of training, serving as Commandant (Combat Wing) at the ITBP Academy, Mussoorie from 2000 to 2002.
He served as Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore city from 2002 to 2004. He has also served as Deputy Inspector General of Police, Villupuram range and Deputy Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption.
He has led the Chennai City Police as Additional Commissioner, Crime & Headquarters and Additional Commissioner, Traffic. He also served as ADGP (Operations) and ADGP (Administration) in Tamil Nadu Police.
His vast experience saw him appointed as IG (Special Operations) Border Security Force (BSF), IG Chhattisgarh Sector Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and IG Operations, CRPF. He has served as ADG HQ & Ops, CRPF and Spl DG J&K Zone CRPF before being appointed as DG, ITBP.
He assumed the charge of DG ITBP on August 31, 2021, as its 31st chief.
For his distinguished services, Arora has been awarded the prestigious Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2004, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2014, Police Special Duty Medal, Antrik Suraksha Padak and UN Peacekeeping Medal among others.