DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal set to take charge of TN police

Chennai: With more than three decades of police service already under his belt, Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal is set to take over the reins of Tamil Nadu police, leaving Kolkata where he has been overseeing border management and security operations along the Indo-Bangladesh border.A native of Punjab, Aggarwal joined the Indian Police Service on Sept 4, 1994. He holds a bachelor’s degree in law and a master’s degree in personnel management. He was born in 1972, and has nearly six more years of service left.The 1994-batch IPS officer, belonging to Tamil Nadu cadre, is on central deputation, serving as special director-general (human rights) in the Border Security Force (BSF). He holds an additional charge as special director-general of the BSF Eastern Command in Kolkata.As per the Supreme Court’s directions in the Prakash Singh case, Aggarwal will have a fixed tenure of two years as DGP and head of police force (HoPF) from the date he assumes office, but could continue beyond that.Aggarwal has held a range of senior positions in Tamil Nadu, having served as commissioner of police in Chennai and Madurai, handling major law and order responsibilities. When he took over as Chennai city commissioner of police on July 2, 2020, Covid-19 had set in. He supervised policing measures during the first wave of the pandemic.He also held key leadership positions in the state police, including special director-general of the CB-CID, additional director-general of police and director-general of the Armed Police. In these roles, he supervised criminal investigations, specialized policing functions, and the administration of armed police units.Aggarwal introduced ‘malkhana,’ a room monitored by a policeman to safely store properties related to cases.Apart from operational policing assignments, Aggarwal played a role in police reforms. He was a member of the Fifth Police Commission and participated in the preparation and submission of recommendations aimed at improving police administration and service delivery in Tamil Nadu.During his service, Aggarwal received multiple honours in recognition of his contribution to policing. These include the President’s police medal for distinguished service, the Tamil Nadu chief minister’s medal, and the police medal for meritorious service.