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KLN Rao appointed new in-charge DGP of Gujarat Police
DGP Rao now heads CID Crime with additional charges of Prisons and the entire Gujarat Police force
Dr KLN Rao has served as the chief of Prisons for the past six years, having been appointed ADGP and Inspector General of Prisons on September 30, 2019. He was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) in April 2024, and continued serving in that role.
THE GUJARAT government on Wednesday, gave additional charge of the DGP and IGP of Gujarat Police, to Dr K Laxmi Narayan Rao, a 1992-batch IPS officer currently serving as the DGP of CID Crime and Railways, with additional charge of Prisons and Correctional Administration.
This decision to appoint Rao as in-charge DGP has led to speculation as to whether he will receive the job full-time, in due course. The out-going DGP Vikas Sahay also served as in-charge DGP of Gujarat Police for a month in February 2023, before being given the job full-time in March the same year. Rao has been considered the frontrunner for the top job as the seniormost officer with enough time left before superannuation to assume the role. He is slated to retire in 2027.
The top post of the Gujarat Police became vacant on Wednesday with the retirement of 1989-batch Vikas Sahay, who served in this position for two years and 10 months. Sahay, who was previously posted as DGP Training, was appointed in-charge DGP of the Gujarat Police with effect from February 1, 2023, and appointed to the job full-time from March 1, 2023. He was slated to superannuate on June 30, 2025, but received a six-month extension which ended on December 31, 2025.
Sahay was the third consecutive chief of the Gujarat Police to receive an extension after his immediate predecessor Ashish Bhatia (eight months) and his predecessor Shivanand Jha (three months).
Dr KLN Rao has served as the chief of Prisons for the past six years, having been appointed ADGP and Inspector General of Prisons on September 30, 2019. He was promoted to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) in April 2024, and continued serving in that role.
On September 30, 2025, DGP Rao was transferred to the ex-cadre post of the DGP CID (Crime and Railways). However, he also retained the additional charge of DGP Prisons and Correctional Administration.
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