LUCKNOW, June 1 -- Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Rajeev Krishna has been appointed as the new acting director general of police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh, replacing Prashant Kumar who retired on Saturday. Krishna (55), a 1991-batch IPS officer, is currently the director general of vigilance in the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board. He becomes the fifth consecutive officer to hold the top post in an acting capacity since the removal of then full-time DGP Mukul Goel on May 11, 2022 following allegations of inaction and lack of interest in work. At 22, Krishna was one of the youngest officers to become an IPS officer. Earlier, Sri Ram Arun was the youngest DGP at the age of 57 in 1997. According to an official communique, Krishna will continue to hold charge of director general of vigilance and director of UP police recruitment and promotion board. Despite the appointment, Krishna cannot be designated as permanent DGP at present, as per UPSC guidelines. He currently stands 12th in the seniority list of DG-rank officers in the Uttar Pradesh IPS cadre. A permanent appointment may only be possible around March 2026, when senior officers are expected to retire. The development has put to rest speculations about a possible extension to Kumar, who has held the post since January 31, 2024. A senior home department official said two key factors were behind the selection of Krishna. "First, the way Krishna successfully handled the biggest police recruitment examination. Last year, the two consecutive question paper leaks were a major embarrassment for the government. Second, he may be eligible for a permanent position in November 2024," he said. Reacting to the appointment, former CM and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav posted on X: "UP gets another acting DGP! Today, while leaving, he must be thinking what did he get, after he kept proving every wrong to be right. If he had been loyal to the constitution and the law instead of the person, he would have at least got respect in his own eyes. Now it remains to be seen whether he is able to free himself from web that has been woven in the state and deliver justice impartially. Why should the people of UP and poor law and order suffer due to the Delhi-Lucknow flight? When the 'double engine' cannot choose an officer together, then how will they run the country and the state." State BJP vice-president Vijay Bahadur Pathak, however, said, "Merit is the sole criterion in the appointment of DGP Rajeev Krishna. Under his leadership, the state will see further improvement in law-and-order situation."...