1995-batch IPS Officer Deepam Seth Becomes Uttarakhand’s Director General of Police; Acting DGP Abhinav Kumar Relieved from Position.
Dehradun: The Uttarakhand government has appointed 1995-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Deepam Seth as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of the state. The orders were issued on Monday morning. With this appointment, 1996-batch IPS officer Abhinav Kumar has been relieved from his duties as the acting DGP. Additional Director General (ADG) Deepam Seth has been entrusted with the responsibility of being the 13th head of Uttarakhand Police. He is currently the senior-most officer in the Uttarakhand cadre. The Home Department has issued the official notification in this regard.
ADG Deepam Seth returned to his parent cadre on Monday after completing his central deputation. Upon his return, he was immediately assigned the responsibility of leading the state’s police force as its 13th DGP. Just a day earlier, the central government had relieved Deepam Seth from his central deputation in the paramilitary forces, paving the way for his appointment as DGP.
Prior to this development, Abhinav Kumar, while serving as the acting DGP, had written to the state’s Home Secretary, Shailesh Bagauli, suggesting that the DGP appointment process be modeled after Uttar Pradesh’s approach. However, this proposal was rejected.
Recently, after the BJP’s victory in the Kedarnath by-election, acting DGP Abhinav Kumar personally congratulated Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami by presenting him with a bouquet. The photo of this meeting was shared on the official social media platforms of Uttarakhand Police. However, the image sparked criticism from social and political activists, including Indresh Maikhuri, who highlighted that it violated service conduct rules for IPS officers. Subsequently, the congratulatory post was removed from the police’s social media handles.
It will be interesting to see if, after Deepam Seth’s appointment, Chief Minister Dhami assigns a significant administrative role to IPS officer Abhinav Kumar within the state or if he is sent back on central deputation.
