CHENNAI: Senior IPS officer Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal assumed charge as the Director General of Police (DGP) and Head of the Police Force (HoPF) of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday at the state police headquarters.
Addressing the media, he thanked the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay for the opportunity.
"We will ensure law and order, drug control and take severe action on Crimes against women and against Cyber crimes," the DGP said.
He also appealed to the public to cooperate with the police in maintaining peace and public order.
Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal to take charge as TN DGP on Wednesday
On Tuesday, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved Aggarwal's repatriation from the Border Security Force (BSF) to his parent cadre with immediate effect. Aggarwal was serving as Special Director General of the BSF and was also holding additional charge of the force's Eastern Command headquartered in Kolkata. The order was issued following a proposal from the Union Home Ministry.
The state has been without a full time DGP/ Head of Police Force for over nine months now since the retirement of DGP Shankar Jiwal in August 2025. The previous government appointed G Venkataraman as in-charge for the post of Director General of Police/Head of Police Force, a move which did not sit well with officers who superseded Venkataraman in the seniority list.
In the run up to the recently concluded assembly elections, the Election Commission of India had appointed Sandeep Rai Rathore as the DGP who continued to head the police force even after the model code of conduct got vacated and the new government assumed charge.
Last week, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had cleared a panel of three senior IPS officers—Rajeev Kumar, Sandeep Rai Rathore, and Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal for appointment as Director General of Police (DGP) and Head of Police Force (HoPF) of Tamil Nadu.
A 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, Aggarwal has served in several prominent posts in the state including Commissioner of Police, Chennai and Madurai before his central deputation.
Earlier in the day, the state government transferred DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore, appointed by the Election Commission of India in the run up to the recently concluded assembly elections.
DGP Sandeep Rai Rathore has been posted as Director General,. Prisons and Correctional services. He will be replacing K Shankar who has been transferred and posted as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Enforcement Bureau - CID.