The Tamil Nadu government on Friday (May 29, 2026) appointed Mahesh Kumar Aggarwal (IPS:1994:TN) as Director General of Police and Head of the Police Force, bringing an end to the long wait for a regular police chief in the state.
His appointment comes after the UPSC shortlisted his name in a panel of three officers for the top post. The state government has now approached the Ministry of Home Affairs for his release from the Border Security Force.
Aggarwal is currently serving as Additional Director General in the BSF since January 2025.
He will succeed Sandeep Rai Rathore (IPS:1992:TN), who was appointed DGP and Head of Police Force by the Election Commission on April 2, 2026 during the Assembly election period. Rathore had replaced G Venkataraman (IPS:1994:TN).
With this appointment, Aggarwal will get a fixed tenure of two years as per the Supreme Court’s directions in the Prakash Singh case.
A 1994-batch IPS officer, Aggarwal has held several important positions in Tamil Nadu. He has served as Commissioner of Police in Chennai, Madurai and Tirunelveli.
On central deputation, he served as Joint Director in the CBI at Chandigarh. In the BSF, he also worked as Commander of the Eastern Command. He was responsible for guarding a large stretch of the India-Bangladesh border.
Aggarwal has received the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
Originally from Bathinda in Punjab, he has more than three decades of policing experience.
The post of regular DGP had remained vacant since September 1, 2025 after the retirement of Shankar Jiwal (IPS:1990:TN). The appointment process was delayed for several months, including because of contempt proceedings related to the selection of the state’s police chief.
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