Chennai, May 27:
In a significant development, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has cleared a panel of three senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officers for appointment as the Director General of Police (DGP) and Head of the Police Force (HoPF) in Tamil Nadu, sources said on Tuesday.
According to police sources, Chief Minister Joseph Vijay is expected to soon choose one among the երեք shortlisted officers for the top post.
The officers empanelled by the UPSC are:
Rajeev Kumar (1992 batch), currently serving as DGP (Training)
Sandeep Rai Rathore (1992 batch), presently serving as Head of Police Force (HoPF), appointed by the Election Commission ahead of the Assembly elections
Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal (1994 batch), currently Special Director General of Police in the Border Security Force (BSF)
Tamil Nadu has been without a permanent DGP since the retirement of Shankar Jiwal on August 31, 2025. Following his retirement, the then DMK government appointed G Venkatraman as in-charge DGP, a move that drew criticism for allegedly bypassing Supreme Court guidelines on DGP appointments.
Subsequently, in April 2026, ahead of the Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India appointed Sandeep Rai Rathore as the HoPF, replacing Venkatraman.
With the UPSC now finalising the panel, the stage is set for the Tamil Nadu government to appoint a full-time DGP, bringing an end to months of administrative uncertainty at the top level of the state police force.