New Delhi: Delhi Police Commissioner Amulya Kumar Patnaik will retire on January 31, after a tumultuous tenure during which the force faced several challenges including student agitation and a protest by its own personnel.
"Consequent upon attaining the age of superannuation, Amulya Kumar Patnaik, IPS (1985), Commissioner of Police, Delhi, shall stand retired from government service with effect from January 31," a Delhi government order said.
The city government's home department issued the order on January 8 after the approval of Lt Governor Anil Baijal.
"It is a routine order and mandatorily issued in respect of government servant who is to attain superannuation in order to update the government record," a police source said.
Assembly elections have been announced in the national capital and the model code of conduct is in force.
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Sources aware of the development recently said the government had informed the poll panel, before the Model Code of Conduct came into force in Delhi on January 6, that it was looking for a replacement of Patnaik.
The polls, to be held on February 8, were announced on January 6. The results of elections will be declared on February 11.
The Delhi Police comes under the central government.
Patnaik, who became the Delhi police chief in 2017, had a challenging tenure.
Scores of Delhi Police personnel, in an unprecedented move, took to the streets in 2019 demanding dignity and protection after some of them were allegedly beaten up by lawyers.
This had presented the city police and its top brass in a poor light.
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The Delhi Police's handling of the protests at the Jamia Millia Islamia against the amended citizenship law also came under criticism as cops entered the library and hostel rooms and allegedly beat up students, leaving many of them injured.
The force was also slammed for its alleged inaction during Sunday's attack on Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) students by a masked mob armed with sticks and rods.
If sources are to be believed, SN Srivastava, who is a 1985 batch IPS, is at the forefront of Delhi Police Commissioner's race. He is currently in CRPF. If he takes over as commissioner in the month of February, he will have a tenure of about 14 months.
Apart from him, the name of Narcotics Control Bureau Chief DG Rakesh Asthana is also in the discussion for the post of Police Commissioner. Sources say that the Home Ministry may take a decision regarding the new commissioner soon.
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