Vijay Kumar replaces Srivastava as CRPF chief

NEW DELHI - K. Vijay Kumar, a Tamil Nadu cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who led the operations to kill forest brigand Veerappan, has been appointed the director general of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), official sources said Saturday.

Vikram Srivastava, who had become the CRPF chief in February this year, has been shifted as the chief of the Bureau of Police Research and Development.

Vijay Kumar’s appointment is viewed by security watchers as a step by the government to intensify the anti-Maoist drive and to train the CRPF personnel for the purpose.

Srivastava had come under criticism following the Dantewada attack on April 6 in which 75 personnel of the CRPF were killed by Maoists in a surprise attack.

Vijay Kumar had earlier worked in Jammu and Kashmir also, as an inspector general of the Border Security Force (BSF).