Delhi: SN Shrivastava Replaces Amulya Patnaik as CP

Special Commissioner (Law and Order) SN Shrivastavawill succeed Amulya Patnaik as Commissioner of Police, Delhi on March 1.Shrivastava has been given additional charge as Delhi CP.

Shrivastava was transferred from the CRPF to the DelhiPolice this week in the wake of deadly communal violence in the capitalterritory's northeast. A 1985-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Shrivastava worked inthe city's police force in the past.

He had earlier been tipped to take over from AmulyaPatnaik, whose extended tenure ends on February 29.

Shrivastava is scheduled to retire in June next year.

The Delhi Police is under fire for not doing enough to contain the violence, in which 39 people have been killed.

Moreover, a bench of the Delhi High Court expressedits "anguish" over Delhi Police's failure to book BJP leaders formaking hate speeches in the weeks leading up to the violence

One of the judges on the bench, Justice S Muralidhar, was transferred. The Congress quickly accused the government of trying to protect the BJP leaders, but Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the move was routine.

The following day, a different bench gave the policeand central government four weeks to reply to a petition asking that FIRs befiled against Kapil Mishra and others. It scheduled the next hearing on April13.