The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar Rakesh Balwal has been “prematurely” repatriated to Manipur cadre where a fresh bout of violence has worsened the already tense situation.
The 2012-batch IPS officer, who was shifted to Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre in December 2021, will be assigned a new posting in Manipur upon his joining in the state, which has been witnessing clashes between the majority Meitei and the tribal Kuki communities since May this year.
”The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for premature repatriation of Rakesh Balwal, IPS, from AGMUT cadre to Manipur cadre,” an official order said.
Balwal, who is a resident of Udhampur in the Jammu region, has served in Manipur police in various capacities with the last being Senior Superintendent of Police, Churachandpur in 2017. He has served in the Thobal and Imphal areas as well.
After taking over as SSP Srinagar, Balwal focussed on improving the law-and-order situation within the city, ensuring that the presence of terrorists was reduced to near zero and maintaining that no attacks were carried out either on minorities or security forces.
Balwal was awarded the Union Home Minister’s medal for investigation, the Chief of Army Staff Commendation and a disc from the Director General of CRPF.
Before taking charge as Srinagar SSP, Balwal was on deputation with the NIA for three-and-half years as superintendent of police and was a member of the team that investigated the 2019 Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel lost their lives.