In a pivotal decision ahead of the upcoming Jharkhand state assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has appointed Senior IPS Officer Ajay Kumar Singh as the new Director General of Police (DGP) for Jharkhand. Singh, a 1989-batch IPS officer, takes over from Anurag Gupta, who was dismissed from his role as Acting DGP following the ECI’s directives issued to the Jharkhand government on October 19.

The ECI mandated that Gupta’s duties be transferred to the senior-most officer within the DGP cadre and required compliance from the Hemant Soren government by 7 PM on October 19. Additionally, the government was instructed to provide a panel of senior IPS officers by 10 AM on October 21.

This leadership change comes in light of several complaints and investigations involving Anurag Gupta, including a 2018 case and a subsequent inquiry under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, in 2021.

Prior to his new role as DGP, Ajay Kumar Singh held the position of Managing Director and Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in Jharkhand. With a law enforcement career spanning 32 years, Singh has served in various key roles, including Additional Director General (ADG) in the CID, Special Branch, and Railways. He has also been Superintendent of Police (SP) in multiple districts, including Hazaribagh and Dhanbad, as well as various cities in Bihar, such as Muzaffarpur, Lakhisarai, Purnia, and Munger.

Singh began his career in 1991 as an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Ramgarh district, Jharkhand.