Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey on Tuesday took voluntary retirement from service, triggering speculation that he could contest the upcoming Assembly elections in the state.
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According to a notification issued by the state Home department, Governor Phagu Chauhan has approved Gupteshwar Pandey’s request. Director General (Homeguards) SK Singhal has been given additional charge as DGP.
According to a reports, Pandey will contest polls from Buxar and has reportedly been assured a ticket from the BJP.
The outspoken cop had in 2009 taken premature retirement to contest the Lok Sabha elections. But the state government did not accept his VRS application and reinstated him in the service.
Gupteshwar Pandey, a 1987-batch IPS officer, had made the headlines recently for his comments on the Mumbai Police’s investigation in actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death case. He had also lashed out at actor Rhea Chakraborty saying she didn’t have the ‘stature’ to comment on Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.
Gupteshwar Pandey, 59, was born in Geruabandh village of Buxar district in Bihar. An alumnus of Patna University, Pandey cleared the UPSC and joined the Indian Police Service in 1987.
Pandey had previously served as SP in several districts. He is known for taking initiatives to make police people friendly.