NEW DELHI: Senior IPS officer A P Maheshwari was on Monday appointed as Director General of the Central Reserve Police Force ( CRPF), according to a Personnel Ministry order.
He would soon take over the charge from ITBP Director General S.S. Deswal who was given the “additional” charge to head the country’s largest paramilitary force, CRPF, after its serving DG R.R. Bhatnagar retired last month.
Maheshwari, a 1984 batch IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, is at present Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Union Home Ministry.
He has been appointed to the post up to February 28, 2021, i.e. the date of his superannuation, the order stated.
Maheshwari took over the charge from ITBP Director General S S Deswal who was given the additional charge to head the CRPF.
Delhi: New DG Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) AP Maheshwari assumes office. ITBP DG SS Deswal, who was given additional charge of CRPF, passes on the baton to Maheshwari. (Pic courtesy: CRPF) pic.twitter.com/DvXtfRyPoW
— ANI (@ANI) January 15, 2020
He would head the CRPF, which is not only India’s but also the world’s largest paramilitary force with over 3.25 lakh personnel.
The over 3.25 lakh world’s largest paramilitary force is the lead internal security force of the country entrusted with anti-naxal operations and counter-terror operations in Jammu-Kashmir.
The CRPF was raised as the Crown Representatives Police (CRP) in 1939 under the British. Post-Independence, it was named CRPF in 1949.