Patna: The Bihar government today shifted 17 Indian Police Service (IPS) officials in the latest reshuffle in the police department with Kundan Krishnan removed as Patna Zone Inspector General of Police (IG) and made the Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief in place of Paresh Saxena, according to an official notification.
Krishan, an IPS officer of 1994 batch, was the lone senior official to survive purge of senior civil and police officials of Patna division after the stampede incident at Gandhi Maidan during Dusshera festivity last month in which 33 people, mostly women and children, were killed.
His latest posting in the same rank with ATS is being seen as a face saver for the police official who has been known as a tough cop all his service life and was instrumental in improving law and order situation in the state capital during the first term of the erstwhile NDA government.
Krishnan will also hold additional charge as the IG (Security, Special Branch).
Among other senior IPS officials affected in the latest reshuffle, Suresh Kumar Bharadwaj (1983 batch), the Additional Director General of Police (ADG), Wireless, with additional charge of training has been transferred and made the ADG, State Crime Record Bureau (SCRB) and Wireless.
Abhay Kumar Upadhyaya, the ADG (Crime Investigation Department), CID, has been transferred and made the ADG, Bihar Military Police (BMP) at Patna.
The Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Bihar Police Building Construction Corporation, with Additional charge of ADG, Special Branch, has been given the additional charge of ADG, CID.
Arvind Kumar Pandey, the IG (Weaker Section), CID, has been made the ADG (Weaker Section), CID, while the Special Secretary (Home), Alok Raj has been the ADG, Law and Order.
Amrendra Kumar Ambedkar, who was the IG, Darbhanga Zone has been transferred in the same rank and made the IG, Patna Zone, while the IG (Special Vigilance Unit), SVU, has been given additional charge of IG (State Crime Record Bureau), SCRB.
Paresh Saxena, who was the ATS IG with additional charge of IG, Security (Special Branch) has been transferred and made the Special Secretary, Home.