VSK Kamudi joins a dozen from his ’86 IPS batch

Hyderabad: Mr V.S.K. Kaumudi, senior IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre, has been empanelled Director General (DG) at the Centre, which will make him eligible to head any Central organisation.

Out of 90 IPS officers of the 1986 batch, Mr Kaumudi is among the 12 who have been empanelled DG and DG-equivalent posts at the Centre — something that is considered a huge achievement in the career of any IPS officer.

Though it was widely believed that another 1986 batch IPS officer from Telangana cadre, Director General of Police (DGP) M. Mahendar Reddy would figure in the list, his name was missing. The list will formally be released in a day or two.

Besides Mr Kaumudi and Mr Mahendar Reddy, the other officers of the 1986 batch in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh include AP DGP D. Gautam Sawang, Mr Rajiv Trivedi, former AP DGP R.P. Thakur, Mr T. Krishna Prasad and Mr Ray Vinay Ranjan.

Except Mr Mahendar Reddy, all other officers are empanelled IGs at the Centre, which means that in case they proceed on Central deputation, they will be appointed as IGs. Back in their respective states of Telangana and AP, they are DG rank officers. Mr Reddy was earlier empanelled Additional DG at the Centre.

“Being empanelled DG at the Centre is prestigious and a huge achievement in the career of any IPS officer and is not simple. It is only after a 360-degree review is conducted and the performance appraisal report (PAR) assessed of the officer, that the names are shortlisted for empanellment by a committee, which carries out a rigorous exercise to receive feedback about the officer concerned.  Only officers with impeccable integrity, strong inter-personal relationships, best performance, honesty and dedication are cleared for the top rank,” a top government source told Deccan Chronicle.

As for Mr Kaumudi, who left AP cadre to proceed on central deputation in March 2016, he has had a stint as Inspector General in the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

He was shifted to the Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) for a brief period after which he was moved to the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and given charge of the sensitive Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) zone in the rank of Additional DG.

Recently, after completion of his tenure, he was transferred as Director General of BPR&D.

Sources said Mr Kaumudi, who retires in November 2022, has a bright future as his empanellment as DG at the Centre will make him eligible to head any Central government organisation like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), paramilitary forces like CRPF, Border Security Force (BSF), Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) or the National Security Guard (NSG).

He will be one of the contenders for the post of Director General, NSG, when the incumbent, Mr Sudeep Lakhtakia, retires in July. In August, the post of DG, BSF, will fall vacant as incumbent Rajni Kant Misra is due to retire and in December, the post of DG, CRPF, will fall vacant as incumbent Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar will retire.

Early in his career, Mr Kaumudi had a stint with the CBI and had investigated the fodder scam involving former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav.

In undivided AP, Mr Kaumidi had probed the Satyam scam which led to the conviction of its chairman Ramalinga Raju.