Top cop to hang up boots, no word yet on successor

Hours before elections were announced, the Tamil Nadu government had promoted five Additional Director Generals of Police, taking the number of DGPs from Tamil Nadu cadre to 15.

As per the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court, a minimum tenure of six months is recommended for empanelment of DGPs. Excluding Rajendran, four other DGs — S R Jangid (chief vigilance officer, MTC), C K Gandhirajan (TNFRS), Ashish Bengra (Operation) and RC Kudawla (Training) — have only less than six months of service and so it makes them not qualified to head the force.

Other officers are J K Tripathy, (TNUSRB), M S Jaffer Sait (CBCID), Srilakshmi Prasad (SHRC), Ashuthosh Shukla (Prisons), Mithilesh Kumar Jha (on central deputation), N Tamil Selvan (Technical Services), C Sylendra Babu, (Railways), Karan Singha, (Traffic and Safety), Prateep V Philip, (Civil Supplies-CID) and Vijay Kumar (special DGP, Law & Order).

Among these IPS officers, J K Tripathy, who has a clean service record, has 11 months of tenure left from July 2019, while Jaffer Sait, who was placed under suspension because of a DVAC case,has 18 months before his superannuation after T K Rajendran retires.

Srilakshmi Prasad, the only woman DGP in the list will have 11 months of service left, while Ashuthosh Shukla will have 19 months. Mithilesh Kumar has 2 years and N Tamilselvan has 23 months.

Among the DGs promoted, Sylendra Babu has 3 years left and Karan Singha has 2 years and 8 months. Prateep Philip is left with 2 years and 3 months and Vijay Kumar has 15 months of service.