Five Delhi Police districts got new deputy commissioners following a major reshuffle in the force, according to an official order issued on Thursday.

Joy Tirkey will handle the riots-hit northeast district, according to the order.

Tirkey, who served in the Crime Branch for several years and handled various sensitive cases, including the 2020 Jawaharlal Nehru University violence, was in charge of the Special Branch.

The northeast district was being headed by 2011-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjay Kumar Sain. Sain will take charge of the central district, replacing 2010-batch IPS officer Shweta Chauhan. Chauhan has been appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Police (General Administration), the order said.

During his tenure, Sain undertook various coordinated initiatives to maintain peace and harmony in the riots-hit district.

The northeast district witnessed a three-day riot in February 2020 after clashes between supporters of the citizenship law and protesters spiralled. At least 53 people were killed and around 200 injured in the riots.

Jitendra Kumar Meena, a 2012-batch IPS officer, has been appointed as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northwest), being transferred from the Economic Offences Wing. He will replace Usha Rangnani, who will take over as Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Branch), the order said.

The northwest district also witnessed clashes during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in Jahangirpuri last April in which nine police personnel and a civilian were injured.