New Delhi: After four years of functioning with temporary chiefs, the Uttar Pradesh police force has got its first full time director general of police (DGP) since 2022. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state on Saturday (June 30) appointed 1991 batch IPS Rajeev Krishna as the state’s new DGP, reported Times of India .

Since May 2025, Krishna was serving as acting DGP and has three years of service remaining before his retirement in June 2029. Krishna is also currently serving as director general of vigilance establishment.

The last full time DGP of the state prior to Krishna's appointment was Mukul Goel, who was removed from the post in 2022.

Following Goel's removal, the state has seen four acting DGPs - D.S. Chauhan, R.K. Vishwakarma, Vijay Kumar and Prashant Kumar.

The opposition had earlier raised serious concerns over the absence of a full time police chief in India's most populous state. Uttar Pradesh, with over 220 million people, has seen high-profile law and order challenges in recent years. Critics had argued that the continued appointment of acting DGPs undermines institutional accountability and weakens leadership within the police force.

The controversy over UP not getting a permanent DGP in four years had also reignited debates over the relationship between the Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government and the BJP-led Union government.

Prashant Kumar, who was acting DGP before Krishna, was widely expected to receive an extension, and was reportedly chief minister Yogi Adityanath's preferred candidate. However, the Union government did not approve the extension.

Newly-appointed DGP Kumar has previously served as superintendent of police and senior superintendent of police in districts including Mathura, Etawah, Agra, Noida and Lucknow and also headed the Uttar Pradesh Police Academy, where he played a significant role in training and mentoring young officers.