Rakesh Asthana who belongs to the 1984 batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre has been appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner by the Union Home Ministry. He will join with immediate effect.
Rajesh has been serving as the Director General of the Border Security Force since August last year. His appointment as Commissioner has come just 3 days before his previously scheduled date of retirement, 31 July 2021. His service has been extended for a period of one year beyond the date of his superannuation or until further orders, whichever is earlier.
This is one of the few instances when an IPS officer outside the AGMUT has been appointed as the Delhi Police Commissioner.
He has held crucial posts in the Gujarat government when Narendra Modi was the chief minister. He was the person who headed the Special Task Force to investigate the Godhra train burning case in 2002.
He had also served as the Special Director of the Central Bureau of Investigation and as the Chief of the Narcotics Control Bureau.
