Controversial senior IPS officer P V Sunil Kumar, considered to be a hot favourite of YSR Congress party president and chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, is likely to be appointed as the new director general of police by next assembly elections in the state in early 2024.
Known for his unstinted loyalty towards the chief minister, Sunil Kumar is presently the chief of Crime Investigation Department (CID).
On Friday, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government issued orders granting promotion to Sunil Kumar as the Director General and retained him in the same post.
According to sources, Sunil Kumar might be elevated to the post of Director General of Police (head of state police force), soon after the retirement of present DGP K V Rajendranath Reddy by the end of 2023, so that he can take control of the state by the time assembly elections are held.
It is a known fact that if the ruling party has a favourable police official in the DGP post at the time of elections, it will be advantageous for the party – whether it is for distribution of money or curtailing the opposition parties.
Sunil Kumar has now been playing a key role in targeting the opposition party leaders including TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu by filing cases like Amaravati land scam, inner ring road scam, SSC question paper leakage scam etc.
Besides, he played instrumental in the cases against Atchennaidu, Kollu Ravindra, Dhulipalla Narendra, Y Srinivasa Rao etc.
He also shot into headlines by allegedly subjecting rebel YSR Congress party leader Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishnam Raju.
If Sunil Kumar becomes the DGP, it will definitely be a tough time for the opposition party leaders.
Meanwhile, apart from Sunil Kumar, the government also promoted Amit Garg and Mahesh Dixit as the DGP rank officials.