Major Police Reshuffle in Madhya Pradesh: New Chiefs for Bhopal, CID, and Narcotics

The Madhya Pradesh Government has executed a significant administrative overhaul, assigning new responsibilities to 14 senior IPS officers. This reshuffle, effective late January 2026, aims to strengthen key specialized wings and improve regional policing. Notably, Pankaj Kumar Srivastava takes over the CID and Vigilance, while Sanjay Kumar has been appointed the new Commissioner of Police for Bhopal. The move also marks the return of Anant Kumar Singh from central deputation to lead the Police Housing Corporation, signaling a push for infrastructure and administrative efficiency within the state’s police force.

Officer	New Designation	Additional Charge / Department
Pankaj Kumar Srivastava	Special DGP, CID, PHQ	Special DGP, Vigilance, PHQ
Anant Kumar Singh	Special DGP / MD, MP Police Housing Corp.	Returning from Central Deputation
K.P. Venkateshwar Rao	Additional DGP, Technical Services, PHQ	ADGP, Anti-Naxal Operation, PHQ
Sanjay Kumar	Commissioner of Police, Bhopal	Nodal head for the state capital’s urban policing.
Umesh Joga	ADGP / Transport Commissioner, Gwalior	Services handed to Transport Department.

Strategic Operational & Zonal Postings

The reshuffle touches upon specialized crime-fighting units and critical geographical zones:

• Narcotics & STF: D. Srinivas Verma is appointed ADGP, Narcotics, with an additional charge as ADGP, Special Task Force (STF).

• Anti-Naxal Operations: K.P. Venkateshwar Rao will now steer the state’s strategy against left-wing extremism in addition to Technical Services.

• Planning & Infrastructure: Abhay Singh takes over as ADGP (Planning), focusing on long-term police modernization.

• Sports & Youth Welfare: Anshuman Yadav has been moved to the Sports Department as Director.

Officer	New Role	Zone / Region
Rakesh Gupta	ADGP	Ujjain Zone
Sanjay Tiwari	IGP	Bhopal (Dehat) Zone
Ms. Chaitra N.	IGP	Shahdol Zone
Lalit Shakyawar	IGP	Balaghat Zone (Critical Naxal-affected area)
Harinarayan Chari Mishra	IGP	SCRB (State Crime Records Bureau)
Vivek Sharma	ADGP	PTRI, PHQ (Police Training Research Institute)

The appointment of Sanjay Kumar as CP Bhopal is a crucial move for the capital’s law and order, while Lalit Shakyawar’s posting in Balaghat reinforces the focus on the state’s security in Naxal-affected borders. The return of Anant Kumar Singh to lead the MP Police Housing Corporation suggests a renewed focus on improving the living conditions and infrastructure for the force, which has been a priority for the state government in 2026.