Ahmedabad gets new Police Commissioner: IPS officer Anupam Singh Gahlaut takes charge
Synopsis
Gujarat's top-cop reshuffle has a structural twist: not only has Surat's police chief been moved to Ahmedabad, but the Ahmedabad Commissioner post itself has been quietly downgraded from DGP to ADGP grade — a reclassification that could reshape how the state's most important urban policing role is perceived and staffed going forward.
Key Takeaways
Anupam Singh Gahlaut , a 1997-batch IPS officer , appointed Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner on 1 July .
Gahlaut was previously serving as Surat City Police Commissioner since April 2024 .
The Ahmedabad Commissioner post has been downgraded from DGP grade to ADGP grade .
The vacancy was created after Gyanendra Singh Malik (1993-batch) was appointed DGP of Gujarat last month.
Gahlaut holds B.E. and M.Tech. degrees and was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2013 .
In Surat, he initiated plans for a dedicated textile-offences police station — a first for the city.
Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Anupam Singh Gahlaut has been appointed the new Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad City, the Gujarat government announced on Wednesday, 1 July. Gahlaut, a 1997-batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, moves from his previous post as Surat City Police Commissioner, filling a vacancy at one of the state's most prominent urban policing positions.
The Appointment and Structural Change
According to a notification issued by the Gujarat Home Department, Gahlaut has been posted to the cadre post of Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad City. Notably, the post itself has been downgraded — from an ex-cadre post in the Director General of Police (DGP) grade to a cadre post in the Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) grade. This structural reclassification is significant, as it redefines the seniority level at which Ahmedabad's top policing role will henceforth be held.
The Chain of Transfers That Led Here
The vacancy arose after Gyanendra Singh Malik, a 1993-batch IPS officer, was elevated to the post of DGP of Gujarat last month. Malik himself succeeded K. L. N. Rao, who had been holding additional charge of the state's top police post. The cascading reshuffle reflects a broader recalibration of senior IPS postings across Gujarat.
Who Is Anupam Singh Gahlaut
Gahlaut brings a career spanning nearly three decades in the Gujarat Police. An engineer by training, he holds a Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) and a Master of Technology (M.Tech.) degree, and entered the IPS through the Union Public Service Commission's Civil Services Examination in 1997. His career has straddled operational, intelligence, and urban policing roles across the state.
He served in district policing in his early years before moving into intelligence, holding posts including Inspector General of Police (Intelligence) and, after his promotion to the ADGP rank in 2022, Additional Director General of Police (CID-Intelligence) at Gandhinagar. He was appointed Vadodara City Police Commissioner in July 2023 and transferred to Surat as City Police Commissioner in April 2024. He was awarded the Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2013.
Gahlaut's Record in Surat
During his tenure in Surat, Gahlaut oversaw several policing initiatives — strengthening traffic management systems, improving public grievance redressal mechanisms, and enhancing oversight of the city's textile industry. Under his leadership, Surat Police also announced plans to establish a dedicated police station for investigating textile-related offences, a first-of-its-kind initiative for the city.
What Comes Next
Gahlaut now takes charge of policing in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's largest city and commercial capital. His appointment at the ADGP level — rather than the DGP level that the post previously carried — will be closely watched to see whether the downgrade affects operational authority or inter-agency coordination. His intelligence background and urban policing experience across Vadodara and Surat position him as a seasoned hand for the role.
Point of View
But the structural change around the post he now occupies may matter as much as the man filling it.
NationPress
2 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner?
Anupam Singh Gahlaut , a 1997-batch IPS officer of the Gujarat cadre, has been appointed the new Commissioner of Police, Ahmedabad City, effective 1 July . He was previously serving as Surat City Police Commissioner.
Why was Anupam Singh Gahlaut transferred to Ahmedabad?
Gahlaut was appointed to fill the vacancy created after Gyanendra Singh Malik was elevated to the post of DGP of Gujarat . The Gujarat Home Department issued a notification on 1 July formalising the transfer.
What is the significance of the post being downgraded from DGP to ADGP grade?
The Ahmedabad City Police Commissioner post has been reclassified from an ex-cadre post in the DGP grade to a cadre post in the ADGP grade . This means the role will now be held by a lower-ranked officer than before, which could have implications for inter-agency authority and seniority in the state's policing hierarchy.
What was Gahlaut's track record in Surat?
During his tenure as Surat City Police Commissioner from April 2024 , Gahlaut strengthened traffic management, improved public grievance redressal, and enhanced policing of the city's textile industry. He also initiated plans for a dedicated police station to handle textile-related offences.
Who did Gyanendra Singh Malik succeed as DGP of Gujarat?
Gyanendra Singh Malik succeeded K. L. N. Rao , who had been holding additional charge of the DGP post. Malik's elevation to DGP created the vacancy at Ahmedabad that Gahlaut now fills.
