LUCKNOW: Series of dacoities which rattled the state capital in mid-January followed by communal conflagration in Kasganj on Republic Day seem to have prompted Uttar Pradesh government to carry out
a major reshuffle of 26 senior IPS officers in the rank of ADG and IG here on Friday. Moreover, the rejig, which witnessed shifting of ADGs deputed in four zones and IGs of seven ranges, is also seen as an exercise conducted by the new DGP to choose his own team in order to tighten the grip on state’s law and order.
As per the list, the fleet in Lucknow has undergone a major change with Rajiv Krishna (1991 batch) has been appointed new Additional Director General of the zone replacing Abhay Kumar Prasad and Sujeet
Pandey of 1994 batch replacing Jai Narain Singh as IG Lucknow range, respectively. While Abhay Kumar Prasad has been sent to Moradabad as ADG EOW, Jai Narain Singh has been moved to PAC.
The ADGs of Varanasi, PM Modi’s parliamentary constituency and Gorakhpur, CM Yogi Adityanath’s bastion have also been changed. While PV Ramasastry has been appointed ADG Varanasi zone, Dawa Sherpa has been sent to Gorakhpur in the same capacity. However, Prem Prakash has been sent to the sensitive zone Bareilly as ADG. ADGs of Agra, Meerut, Allahabad and Kanpur would continue.
Among 18 police ranges, Yogi government brought new officers in Moradabad, Bareily, Saharanpur, Faizabad, Mirzapur, Chitrakoot Dham besides Lucknow. Binod Kumar Singh, Dhruv Kant Thakur, Sharad
Sachan, Omkar Singh, Vijay Singh Meena and Manoj Tiwari would take over as IG of the six ranges.