NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana has got an official hiring post-retirement.
He is appointed as one of the seven ‘special monitors’ of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). He will oversee thematic areas of NHRC such as terrorism, counter-insurgency, communal riots and violence related to Leftwing extremism as a special monitor.
After a wide consultation, the Modi government appointed seven officials, including Rakesh Asthana by an order passed on November 22.
The order states that Muktesh Chandra, another retired IPS officer, has also been appointed as a special monitor with the responsibility of monitoring cyber crimes & artificial intelligence (AI). Amitabh Agnihotri is also one of the seven special monitors, who will oversee environment, climate change and human rights-related issues.
According to the order, Sanjay Aggarwal will monitor elementary education while RK Sama will monitor water, sanitation and hygiene as one of the special monitors with NHRC.
As per the order, Manohar Agani will be responsible for monitoring the thematic areas concerning public health, healthcare, AIDS and spurious drugs, while Jyotsna Sitling will monitor thematic areas concerning livelihood, skilling and employment.
Asthana is a 1984-batch IPS officer and was appointed in 2021 as Delhi police commissioner till July 31 in 2022. He has been serving as the BSF chief while holding additional charge of Narcotics Bureau earlier. He has served in the state and the Centre, and twice in the CBI. While serving in CBI, he hogged the limelight for investigating a fodder scam in which RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav was accused. Working as special director in CBI, Asthana got into a feud with the CBI’s then director Alok Verma. Ashthana was cleared from all charges after a CBI probe.