Guwahati, Jan 27 (IANS): Assam’s Director General of Civil Defence and Commandant General of Home Guards Harmeet Singh will be the acting Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam Police as the incumbent state police chief will join as the Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

An official order of Assam’s Home Department said that upon release of Gyanendra Pratap Singh for Central deputation, Harmeet Singh would be the acting DGP, Assam, in addition to his existing duties temporarily till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders.

Harmeet Singh, who is also the Special DGP (HQ) and Special DGP (Border), is a 1992 batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre. The order said that in pursuance of the letter of the Ministry of Home Affairs, the services of G P Singh, DGP, Assam are placed at the disposal of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for posting him as Director General on a deputation basis for a tenure upto the date of his superannuation on November 30, 2027 or until further orders.

The officer is hereby released from the date of handing over of charges, the order said.

Earlier this month, the 1991 batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre (G P Singh), was appointed as the CRPF chief. On January 31, 2023, he was appointed as the DGP, Assam.

Officials said that the Special DG of the CRPF, Vipul Kumar, would hand over his position as the DG CRPF to GP Singh, who has also earlier served with the Special Protection Group (SPG).

G P Singh earlier served as inspector general of police at the National Investigation Agency. He was repatriated to his parent cadre at the request of the Assam government.

G P Singh, also locally known as ‘Gun Point Singh’ for his tough approach against insurgents, was posted in Jorhat district in the 1990s. He had earlier worked as DIG central-western range in Assam Police.

At the height of protests and agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act in Assam, he was appointed as the ADGP (Law and Order) of the state.

He was also the Director of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption in Assam during his tenure as Special DGP (Law and Order).

In 2021, he headed the Rhino Protection Task Force. The CRPF is India’s largest paramilitary force. The force, which is involved in counter-insurgency operations and left-wing extremism (LWE), also deployed in large numbers in ethnic violence-infested Manipur.