The Chhattisgarh government on Saturday (May 16, 2026) appointed senior IPS officer Arun Dev Gautam (IPS:1992:CG) as the state’s full-time Director General of Police (DGP), bringing an end to his nearly 17-month stint as acting police chief.
A 1992-batch IPS officer, Gautam has had a long policing career spanning administrative, field and security assignments. Prior to taking over as acting DGP, he was serving as Home Secretary and also held additional charge of prisons, transport, home guards and fire services.
Originally from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Gautam holds an MA in Political Science and an MPhil in International Law from Jawaharlal Nehru University. He joined the Indian Police Service in 1992 and initially served in the undivided Madhya Pradesh cadre before becoming part of the Chhattisgarh cadre following the creation of the state in 2000.
During his career, he served as Superintendent of Police in several districts, including Koriya, Raigarh, Jashpur, Rajnandgaon, Sarguja and Bilaspur. He also handled critical responsibilities in Bastar following the 2013 Jhiram attack and served in important positions in CID, police headquarters, administration and chief minister security.
Gautam is also a recipient of the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service, the Indian Police Medal and the United Nations Medal for his service in conflict-affected Kosovo.
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