Delhi Police commissioner Alok Kumar Verma, a 1979 batch Indian Police Service officer who was appointed the new CBI director on Thursday, has an illustrious career.
Verma of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) has been the Delhi Police chief for the past 11 months. He was earlier the director general of Tihar prisons and the police chief of Mizoram.
As a pre-requisite for appointment as the CBI chief, an official needs to have a prior experience of working in the central agency or he or she should have handled vigilance work in the parent cadre. Verma handled vigilance work late in his career — between February 1, 2011 and February 16, 2012 as a special commissioner of police in Delhi.
Verma has also served as the joint and special commissioner of the Delhi Police crime branch between August 2007 and December 2008. Verma’s tenure as police chief till now has been without any controversy.
Senior police officers say though many Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs have been arrested during Verma’s tenure, the ruling party hasn’t vociferously accused him of working for his any political boss.
Verma is also not outspoken as his predecessor BS Bassi and is yet to give any interview as the police commissioner. Unlike his predecessor or the police chief of other metros, Verma hardly uses the Delhi Police commissioner’s Twitter handle.
Verma created a record of sorts when he pushed for the promotion of over 26,000 Delhi Police officers in December last year. The Union ministry of home affairs finally consented and gave a green signal to promote the officers, most of whom were working without a promotion for over two decades.
His appointment as the CBI director is his 24th posting in his 36-year career as a police officer.
Verma is due to retire in July but the government could give him an extension if he joins the CBI. Delhi Police officers say Verma holds several meetings with his top brass and does not believe in micromanaging the units.
Source: HindustanTimes