The Telangana government has named IPS official Shikha Goel as the Principal Secretary, Home. Goel, a 1994-batch IPS officer, currently serves as the Director General, Vigilance & Enforcement, and ex officio Principal Secretary, General Administration Department. She will also retain additional responsibilities as the Director of Telangana Cyber Security Bureau and Director of Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory until further directives.
Goel’s appointment as Principal Secretary, Home, has sparked speculation about C V. Anand, the current Special Chief Secretary, Home, potentially becoming the new Director General of Police. Anand, a 1996-batch IPS officer of DG rank, is expected to take over from DGP Shivdhar Reddy, who is set to retire on April 30. Anand has previously served as the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and held the position of Hyderabad city Police Commissioner twice, along with serving as Police Commissioner of Cyberabad.
In addition to Goel’s appointment, the government has reassigned six other IPS officers. Devendra Singh Chauhan, the Additional Director General of Police, Personnel, has been appointed as the Director General of Vigilance & Enforcement and ex officio Principal Secretary, General Administration Department. Shahnawaz Qasim, the Director General of Drugs Control Administration, has been reassigned as the Inspector General of Police, Multi-Zone-II, with additional responsibilities as the Inspector General of Police, Personnel.
Tarun Joshi, the current Anti-Corruption Bureau Director, is slated to take over as the new Commissioner of Police of Future City, replacing G. Sudheer Babu, who is retiring on April 30. Avinash Mohanty, the Malkajgiri Police Commissioner, has been transferred and appointed as the Director General of Drugs Control Administration and Director of Prohibition & Excise, with additional duties as the Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau until further notice. B. Sumathi, the IGP of SIB, Intelligence, has been reassigned as the Malkajgiri Police Commissioner, while Karthikeya, the IGP of Intelligence, has been given full additional charge as IGP of SIB, Intelligence.
