New top cop avoids media on his first day in office

Senior IPS officer Alok Verma on Monday took charge as the Delhi Police Chief at a time when the Delhi Police are coping up with criticisms over the handling of the JNU row. He maintained a distance from mediapersons on the very first day, hinting that he is not B S Bassi, the former police commissioner who was media-friendly and used to interact with mediapersons even on petty issues.

Ignoring mediapersons, who were waiting to interact with Verma to know about his priorities and challenges he is going to face, he preferred to avoid them. Earlier, on retirements and new appointments of police commissioners, it became almost a trend that soon after anointment as the police commissioner; the new officer would interact with the media. Later in the evening, Verma said: “I am proud to be given the opportunity of working with Delhi Police. Together we will work towards betterment and strengthening of Delhi Police.”

After taking over the charge, he held a meeting with all the senior police officials that lasted for an hour. All the Special Commissioners, Joint Commissioners, Additional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners of police attended the meeting. Further in the afternoon, he went to the Home Ministry and then reported to the LG.

Verma, was posted as Director General of Tihar Jail and is likely to have a tenure of 17 months as the police chief.  He became the Director General (DG) of Delhi Prisons on August 6, 2014. Verma, a 1979-batch IPS officer of the Arunachal, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories (AGMUT) cadre, was posted as the special commissioner of police (CP), administration, with the Delhi Police. 

Verma has held many posts in Delhi Police after he joined the AGMUT cadre. 

He was the Deputy Commissioner of Police, South district, before being deployed on Central deputation. He served as the IG in Andaman and Nicobar before returning to Delhi Police. He was appointed as the Joint Commissioner of Police, crime and Joint CP, New Delhi range, before being moved to Puducherry as the DGP. He returned to Delhi Police as the special CP (intelligence), and later served as the special CP, vigilance, as well.