Former CRPF Director General K Vijay Kumar, one of India’s most celebrated and decorated police officers known for leading several landmark anti-insurgency and anti-terror operations, is going to be conferred the Padma Shri by President Droupadi Murmu on May 25.
A 1975-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, Kumar is best remembered for spearheading the Special Task Force operation that eliminated forest brigand Veerappan in 2004, bringing to an end a manhunt that had stretched over two decades across the forests of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
Born on September 15, 1952, Kumar studied at St Joseph’s College and later at Madras Christian College before joining the country’s police service. Though he qualified for the IAS in 1976, he preferred the IPS to remain in policing, embarking on a career that would span nearly five decades.
Over the years, Kumar held several key assignments, including Commissioner of Police, Chennai, Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Senior Security Adviser in the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, handling Left Wing Extremism and security challenges in Jammu and Kashmir.
As CRPF chief from 2010 to 2012, he initiated major reforms in training and operational strategy following the deadly Dantewada Maoist attack. During his tenure as Senior Security Adviser between 2013 and 2018, Maoist violence witnessed a significant decline across affected regions.
Kumar also played a crucial role in security management in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly during the sensitive period surrounding the abrogation of Article 370, while serving as Adviser to the Governor from 2018 to 2020.
Earlier, as Inspector General of the BSF in Kashmir between 1998 and 2001, he commanded nearly 50,000 personnel during the Kargil War and the peak of fidayeen attacks.
Kumar has been awarded the President’s Police Medals for Gallantry and Distinguished Service and is also the author of the book Veerappan: Chasing the Brigand.