In a major development, the Karnataka government on Saturday (August 30, 2025) appointed Dr M A Saleem (IPS:1993:KN) as the full-time Director General and Inspector General of Police (DG & IGP), the head of the state police force.
Dr Saleem had been serving as the interim police chief since May 21, 2025, following the retirement of his predecessor Alok Mohan (IPS:1987:KN). Alongside this role, he also held the concurrent charge of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
A 1993-batch IPS officer, Dr Saleem is currently the third most senior DGP in Karnataka after Praveen Sood (IPS:1986:KN), who heads the CBI, and Prashant Kumar Thakur (IPS:1992:KN), serving in the state cadre.
The appointment comes just days after the Karnataka High Court disposed of a PIL questioning the delay in the selection of a regular police chief. The petition had urged compliance with the Supreme Court’s 1996 Prakash Singh directives mandating transparent and timely appointments of DGPs.
During the hearing, a division bench led by Chief Justice Vibhu Bakru and Justice C M Joshi recorded the assurance of Advocate General K Shashikiran Shetty that the state would finalise the appointment soon after receiving the UPSC empanelment list.
With the government’s notification now in place, Dr Saleem’s elevation as Karnataka’s top cop ends months of uncertainty over the leadership of the state police and paves the way for continuity in law enforcement.
Also Read: MA Saleem gets concurrent charge as Karnataka DGP & IGP
Also Read: Karnataka govt extends DG&IGP Alok Mohan’s tenure to uphold two-year rule, sets key precedent
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