Tamil Nadu reshuffles 15 IPS officers in major police overhaul
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday, 24 June ordered a sweeping reshuffle in its police department, transferring, promoting, and reposting 15 IPS officers across the state with immediate effect. The orders were issued by the Home (SC) Department and are aimed at strengthening policing capabilities while filling key vacancies across commissionerates and districts.
Key Transfers and Postings
D. Kannan, previously serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Welfare and Estate, Greater Chennai Police, has been moved to the post of Deputy Commissioner of Police, Headquarters and Administration, Tambaram Police Commissionerate. A. Velmurugan, who was Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Crime Branch, Tambaram, has been transferred as Superintendent of Police/Assistant Inspector General of Police (Modernisation) in the office of the Director General of Police at Chennai.
G. Stalin, IPS, who was on compulsory wait, has been appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Central Crime Branch, Tambaram Police Commissionerate. Similarly, D. Ramesh Babu, also returning from compulsory wait, has been posted as Superintendent of Police, Anti-Terrorism Squad, Chennai.
V.V. Geethanjali has been appointed Deputy Commissioner of Police, Crime Against Women and Children Wing, Greater Chennai Police, while P. Sundaravadivel takes charge as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Security, Greater Chennai Police. R. Ramesh Krishnan, previously with the Anti-Terrorism Squad at Madurai, moves to Deputy Commissioner of Police, North, Tiruppur City.
K. Maheswari, Superintendent of Police in the Tamil Nadu Commando Force, Chennai, has been posted as Deputy Commissioner of Police, Redhills, Avadi Commissionerate. In another notable change, R. Uthayakumar, IPS, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Koyambedu, Greater Chennai Police, has been appointed Superintendent of Police, Tiruvannamalai district, replacing A.C. Karthikeyan, who moves to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Adyar, Greater Chennai Police.
Five Officers Promoted to Superintendent of Police
The government also elevated five Assistant Superintendents of Police to the rank of Superintendent of Police. Kunal Uttam Shrote, Akash Joshi, Anshul Nagar, Arpita Rajput, and Banavath Aravind have all been promoted and assigned key responsibilities in Chennai, Tiruppur, Tirunelveli, Crime Branch-CID, and Tiruchirappalli respectively.
Scope and Significance of the Reshuffle
The reshuffle, approved by Additional Chief Secretary K. Manivasan, spans critical policing units including crime investigation, anti-terror operations, women and child protection, district policing, and urban law enforcement. Notably, the return of officers from compulsory wait to frontline operational roles signals an intent to deploy experienced personnel where vacancies had created leadership gaps.
What This Means for Policing Across Tamil Nadu
The simultaneous movement of officers across Greater Chennai Police, the Avadi Commissionerate, Tambaram Commissionerate, and multiple districts reflects a broad administrative recalibration. Units handling sensitive mandates — including anti-terrorism, crime against women and children, and security — receive fresh leadership under this order. The reshuffle is expected to take effect immediately across all designated postings.