SN Srivastava, the man of the hour expected to bring peace back to Delhi, is also rumoured to be the next top cop

• IPS officer SN Srivastava was appointed as the Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Law and Order) with immediate effect.
• Srivastava was called out from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to take over in Delhi.
• Srivastava is also rumoured to be the next Delhi police chief as the current commissioner Amulya Patnaik is set to retire by February end.

As Delhi continues to burn because of mob violence, IPS officer SN Srivastava was appointed as the Delhi Police Special Commissioner (Law and Order) with immediate effect. Srivastava is also rumoured to be the next Delhi police chief as the current commissioner Amulya Patnaik is set to retire by February end.

For three days now, India’s national capital has been the centre of violence and communal clashes, with mobs running wild on the streets and Muslim-majority areas under attack. Localities like Chand Bagh, Bhajanpura, Maujpur-Babarpur, and Jaffrabad are witnessing the most violence.

Srivastava’s appointment came in place as the rapid rise in death toll shocked the nation. Currently, as many as 17 people have died as mobs attacked each other with guns, petrol bombs, stones and iron rods. Over 150 have been brought injured to GTB Hospital, and fire services and ambulances are running furiously all over the city for two days now.

Right after his appointment, Srivastava attended an emergency meeting with the Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Srivastava was called out from the Central Reserve Police Force to take over in Delhi. He held the position of Special Director General (Training).

Since his appointment as the Special Commissioner, a shoot-at-sight order was issued in Yamuna Vihar on Tuesday night.

Late in the night on Tuesday, Patnaik along with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval reached Seelampur in North East Delhi to take stock of the situation. Early in the morning on Wednesday, water cannons were sprayed by the Delhi police on protestors who had gathered in front of the Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence.

Srivastava is from the 1985 batch of AGMUT cadre – a common cadre for Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and union territories. He is a batchmate of the incumbent Delhi police commissioner Patnaik.

In 2017, he was also considered to be in the running for the Director General position of the Tihar Jail but was reportedly not keen on the job.

Srivastava is known for being a hard taskmaster with a no nonsense approach.

In 2015, Srivastava held the position as Chief of Delhi Police’s elite anti-terror unit but was transferred to the Recruitment Cell and Delhi Armed Police 3rd Battalion. His transfer had come at a time when he was being criticised for the arrest of Liaquat Shah.

According to reports, the National Investigation Agency had recommended punishment for five officers from the anti terror unit for framing charges against Shah to make him look like a ‘suicide attacker’ from Hizbul Mujahideen.

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Delhi violence: Delhi death toll rises to 17 with 186 injured as a mosque burns