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Senior IPS officer G Venkataraman, currently serving as Director General of the Administrative Wing of the Tamil Nadu Police, has been posted as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Tamil Nadu. The appointment comes as Shankar Jiwal IPS, the incumbent DGP, retired on Sunday, August 31.
The state government issued the orders through Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Dheeraj Kumar.
Although Jiwal has stepped down from his primary role, the State government has entrusted him with a new responsibility. He has been appointed as the first Chairman of the newly constituted Fire Commission. Jiwal is scheduled to assume office at the headquarters of the Fire and Rescue Services Department in Egmore on September 1.
The Thoothukudi firing of May 22, 2018, remains one of the darkest chapters in Tamil Nadu’s recent history. Police opened fire on thousands of protestors demanding the closure of Sterlite’s copper smelter, which locals alleged was causing widespread pollution and health hazards. Fourteen civilians were killed, sparking nationwide outrage and calls for accountability.
The Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission, set up to probe the incident, submitted its report in 2022 and held several senior police officers, including the then South Zone IGP Shailesh Kumar Yadav, responsible for the lapses that led to the bloodshed. The report condemned the excessive use of force and highlighted administrative and intelligence failures. Despite this, no action has been taken, and Yadav has now retired quietly.
To mark their retirement, a formal farewell function was organised at the Rajarathinam Stadium in Egmore, Chennai, on Saturday. The event witnessed the participation of senior police officers and officials who acknowledged the contribution of the outgoing officers to the state's policing system.
In another development, Vinit Dev Wankhede, Director General of Police (Headquarters), has been posted as Chairman and Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu Police Housing Corporation Ltd., replacing Yadav.
(With IANS inputs)