Delhi born Y Anil Kanth, a 1988 batch IPS officer took charge as the Chief of Kerala State Police on Wednesday evening. He succeeds Orissa born Loknath Behra who superannuated on Wednesday.
Anil Kanth is the first Scheduled Tribe officerto be appointed as the chief of Kerala Police.
He will have a tenure of seven months as he reaches the superannuation age on 2022 January 31. The Kerala Government has not made it clear whether Kanth would get two years tenure as per the Supreme Court verdict in the Praksash Singh v Union of India case in 2018.
“My immediate concern is the increase in the number of dowry death cases. Women should feel safe and secured in the State. Also my focuss would be on law and order situation which is satisfactory as on date,” said Kanth.
There are reports that Behra demitted office with a heavy heart as the Pinarayi Vijayan Government has not given him any post-retirement position in the Government.
There were media reports that Behra may be appointed either as the managing director of Cochin International Airport Ltd or as advisor to the Chief Minister.
Political Kerala was in for a surprise when Behra opened up to the media on the eve of his retirement that Kerala had become the largest recruiting centre for Islamic State , a terrorist organisation.