NEW DELHI: Gyanendra Pratap Singh, a 1991 batch IPS officer and currently Director General (DGP) of Assam police, has been appointed as the new DG of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
CRPF special DG Vitul Kumar has been officiating as CRPF chief since the superannuation of incumbent Anish Dayal Singh on December 31, 2024. Sources told TOI that Singh may assume charge at CRPF headquarters here after overseeing security arrangements for Republic Day celebrations in Assam.
Singh’s appointment order dated January 18 states that he will have a tenure until his superannuation on November 30, 2027, or until further orders, whichever is earlier. Meanwhile, the next DGP of Assam is likely to be named after chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma returns from South Korea and Japan, where he is on a visit to invite investments in Assam. In terms of seniority, Harmeet Singh, a 1992 batch IPS officer and currently Special DGP (Headquarters) in Assam Police, is the next senior most officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.
Singh has served both in the Assam Police as well as Central police organisations including SPG and NIA. As Inspector General in NIA, he handled investigations into key terror cases relating to J&K, including the 2019 Pulwama attack, and northeast insurgency. His tenure in NIA was, however, cut short as the home ministry, in consultation with the Assam govt, decided to send him to Assam in 2019 as special DG, law and order, to quell the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in the state.
Known for his ruthless approach against violent insurgent groups and organized crime, Singh is as much a votary of peace negotiations and has been instrumental in realising the Centre and Assam govt’s efforts to persuade rebels across once-disturbed regions of Assam including the Bodo territorial area, hill areas housing Karbi-Anglong and Dimasa tribes, inter-border areas of Barak Valley and Upper Assam areas having some presence of Ulfa (Independent) rebels, to surrender and join the mainstream. The success of the efforts, led by the Assam Police special branch and involving local pressure groups, have brought peace to most of these areas.
Singh also had a key role in the revival of the Assam Police special taskforce (STF), by ensuring the posting of good officers to lead the crackdown against organized crime and elements working against national security.
As head of the anti-poaching Rhino Protection Taskforce, Singh ensured strict enforcement of measures against poaching, resulting in 2022 as being the first year with zero poaching cases. As special DG (L&O) in Assam police, he also handled charge of the vigilance and anti-corruption wing, and worked on clearing the backlog of corruption cases, identifying those with disproportionate assets and going after them while following the 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 attempts at illegal infiltration, while ensuring safe return of Indians, particularly students, from the neighbouring country.
Singh has two daughters, one of whom is an IPS officer. He is also very active on social media and has over 2.1 lakh followers.
