CHENNAI: Senior IPS officer DGP Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal took charge as the Head of the Police Force (HoPF) of Tamil Nadu at the state police headquarters, on Wednesday. A 1994-batch IPS officer, Aggarwal has earlier served as the Commissioner of Chennai and Madurai, besides other key posts.

"We intend to take all necessary measures to consistently maintain law and order in Tamil Nadu, curb the trafficking of narcotics, control crimes committed against women and children, and reduce the cybercrimes. I request the public, as well as the media, to extend support and cooperation to the Tamil Nadu Police in these endeavors," DGP Aggarwal appealed after taking charge.

He then paid respects at the Martyrs Column inside the State police headquarters.

On Tuesday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Aggarwal's repatriation from the BSF, where he was serving as Special Director-General and was also holding additional charge of the force's Eastern Command headquartered in Kolkata.

The State has been without a full-time police chief for over nine months since the retirement of DGP Shankar Jiwal in August 2025. The previous government appointed G Venkataraman as in-charge, a move which did not sit well with the officers who superseded Venkataraman in the seniority list.

In the run-up to the recent Assembly elections, the Election Commission had appointed Sandeep Rai Rathore as the police chief. He continued to head the force even after the model code of conduct was vacated and the new government assumed charge.

Last week, the Union Public Service Commission had cleared a panel of three senior IPS officers - Rajeev Kumar, Sandeep Rai Rathore, and Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal, for appointment as the DGP.