Swaraj Bir Singh is new Meghalaya DGP

Swaraj Bir Singh, a 1986 batch Assam-Meghalaya cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed as Meghalaya's Police Chief, an official said on Saturday.

The ruling Congress-led Meghalaya United Alliance government issued a notification on Friday appointing Singh, who is also Sahitya Akademi Award for Punjabi recipient, as the full-fledged police chief of the state.

A Home Department official said Singh was selected by the State Security Commission, headed by Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, from a panel of five senior IPS officers of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre.

"The commission selected Singh as he was found to be the fittest man for the pivotal post," the official informed.

Singh was acting Director General of Police since October 31, 2016 following the retirement of Sunil Kumar Jain.

The Meghalaya Police Act, 2010 says that only those officers who have more than one year of service left would be empanelled.

The shortlisted IPS officers included Additional Director in the Central Bureau of Investigation Y.C. Modi (1984 batch), Joint Director of the Intelligence Bureau P.S. Purohit (1985 batch) and Raghvendra Awasthi (1985 batch), who is currently the Director General of Civil Defence and Home Guards in Meghalaya.

--IANS

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