Tamil Nadu DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore.
The appointment of a regular Director General of Police and Head of Police in the Tamil Nadu Police will be further delayed.
The state government has written to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to postpone the Empanelment Committee (ECM) meeting scheduled in Delhi on May 11, 2026.
In a communication sent to the UPSC, the state said that the presence of the chief secretary and the home minister in the state is absolutely necessary in the next few days.
Apparently referring to the ongoing political developments and deadlock in the formation of the new government, the UPSC top official requested to postpone the meeting to another date, preferably the last week of May.
Current DGP/HoPF Sandeep Rai Rathore, who was appointed by the Election Commission of India to replace G. Venkatraman, who held the post, will continue to lead the force until a UPSC-led police chief is appointed as per the Supreme Court’s directions in the Prakash Singh case, police sources said on Thursday.
The ECM convened by UPSC is chaired by its Chairman, Union Home Minister, DGP of one of the Central Armed Paramilitary Forces (not belonging to Tamil Nadu cadre), Chief Secretary and Home Minister of the concerned state.
This is the third time the ECM has been postponed. It was first called for 20 March 2026 and was postponed due to administrative reasons and then to 23 April 2026 as Tamil Nadu was holding assembly elections.
The DGP rank officers who would be considered for empanelment in order of seniority are Seema Agrawal, Rajeev Kumar and Sandeep Rai Rathore followed by K. Vannia Perumal, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, G. Venkatraman and others. Ms Agrawal is to retire from service next month, sources said.
Published – 08 May 2026 0:32 IST
