Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar appointed new DG CRPF

Rajiv Rai Bhatnagar, a 1983 Batch of the IPS belonging to the Uttar Pradesh cadre has been appointed the new Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Bhatnagar's appointment comes two days after the CRPF lost 25 jawans in the deadly Sukma attack.

Bhatnagar will be replacing acting DG Sudeep Lakhtakia.

Currently, Bhatnagar serves as DG of the Narcotics Control Bureau - an ADG rank post which has temporarily been upgraded to a Special DG rank.

In another key appointment, R K Pachnanda was appointed as DG of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

He will be taking over from Krishna Chaudhary, who is set to retire in June this year.

Pachnanda is serving as DG of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), India's specialized force for responding to natural disasters and CBRN emergencies.

Pachnanda is an IPS officer of the 1983 batch, West Bengal cadre.

CRPF, the largest paramilitary force in the world, was operating without a chief since its former director general K Durga Prasad retired on February 28.