Alok Verma set to be new Delhi police chief

Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma will be the next Delhi police commissioner, succeeding incumbent B.S. Bassi, who retires from the post on February 29. Mr Verma will take charge on March 1. It is learnt that Mr Verma’s name was cleared by the government for the top job of the Delhi police on Wednesday evening and formal orders are expected to come anytime soon.

Mr Verma’s appointment comes at a time when the incumbent B.S. Bassi is in the midst of controversy over handling of the JNU row arising out of the arrest of the university’s students union president Kanhaiya Kumar for allegedly raising anti-national slogans at an event commemorating the death of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. The Delhi police is also facing flak for allegedly going slow in taking action against those who indulged in violence in Patiala House court resulting in attacks on media persons on Wednesday and on Monday.

Mr Verma is a 1979-batch Union Territory cadre IPS officer and was the senior most officer in contention for the top post in Delhi police.

Mr Verma, 58, is currently serving as D-G of Tihar prison and will serve as the top police officer of the national capital for 17 months.

Mr Verma will head the 80,000 strong Delhi police, which is responsible for maintaining law and order in the capital that has a population of more than 1.7 crore.

The new Police Commissioner will also have to deal with the Arvind Kejriwal government with which has had several run-ins and an uneasy relationship with the Delhi police ever since Aam Aadmi Party came to power in the Capital a year ago.