PrashantNews
Deepam Seth, an IPS officer of 1995 batch, was on Monday appointed the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttarakhand.
Seth, who was currently serving as Additional Director General of Sashastra Seeema Bal (SSB) was appointed the new police chief in place of Abhinav Kumar, who was officiating on the post since Nov 30 last year, Shailesh Bagauli, Secretary Home said in a government order.
Born in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Seth received his school education from Sherwood College, Nainital. Later, he obtained an engineering degree from BITS Pilani.
Before going on deputation in 2019, he has served in different position in Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh which include Superintendent of Police (SP) Tehri Garhwal and Jyotiba Phule Nagarin UP.
He was also Commander, PAC: 41st Battalion PAC, Meerut. He also went on UN peace mission in the war-torn Kosovo where he served as Project Manager. Seth also remained Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Nainital.
Though the government appointed Kumar as officiating DGP, his name was not included in the final selection panel for the new DGP early this month. However, Abhinav Kumar has recently urged the government to follow the process of appointment of new state police chief as per the provisions of the State Police Act 2007. In a representation to the Home Secretary, Kumar had stated that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) have a decisive role to play in the present process of appointment of new DGP in the hill state, which in his view is not proper in “constitutional and practical point of view.”
Kumar, an IPS officer of 1996-batch drew the attention to the provisions of the Uttarakhand Police Act 2007 in this regard wherein the DGP would be appointed from a panel of eligible officers for the post after getting clearance from a screening committee of the state government. He said the Act clearly states that the number of officers in the panel cannot be more than three times the sanctioned strength of the posts of the DGP.
In this context, he said that recently new rules have been implemented in the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh state for the appointment of new DGP as per the directions of the Supreme Court so that the state government continues to play a decisive role in the appointment of the head of the police force in accordance with the constitutional provisions and the decision of the Supreme Court.