Alok Kumar Verma to be next Delhi Police Commissioner

Senior IPS officer Alok Kumar Verma will be the next Commissioner of Delhi Police, succeeding incumbent B S Bassi, who will hang his boots on February 29.

A 1979-batch Union Territory cadre officer, 58-year-old Verma is currently serving as DG of Tihar prison and will serve as the top police officer of the national Capital for 17 months. Sources said the government has cleared the name of Verma as the next Commissioner of Delhi Police and a formal order is expected soon.

Verma will take charge at a time when the Delhi Police is facing severe criticism for handling 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 death of Afzal Guru. Bassi has also received flak for allegedly going slow in taking action against those who indulged in violence in Patiala House court today and on Monday. 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.

Meanwhile, Bassi is one of the contenders for the post of Information Commissioner in Central Information Commission (CIC). There is a vacancy of three Information Commissioners against its total strength of 10. Bassi’s name was shortlisted last November by a search committee headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha.