The Centre has approved the inter-cadre deputation of Ladakh Police chief Mukesh Singh to Manipur, paving the way for his likely appointment as the state’s Director General of Police (DGP), according to an official order.

Mukesh Singh, a 1996-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Mizoram and Union Territories) cadre, has been granted inter-cadre deputation to Manipur for a period of three years.

The approval was granted by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet as a special case in public interest, according to a Personnel Ministry order dated May 21.

Officials said Singh is expected to take charge as Manipur Police chief following the transfer of incumbent DGP Rajiv Singh, who has been appointed Secretary (Security) in the Cabinet Secretariat.

The Secretary (Security) heads the administrative framework of the Special Protection Group (SPG), the elite security force responsible for protecting the Prime Minister and immediate family members residing at the official residence.

The appointment comes at a critical time for Manipur, which has been grappling with ethnic violence since May 3, 2023.

The unrest began after a “Tribal Solidarity March” was organised in hill districts to protest the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe status.

The prolonged conflict has claimed at least 260 lives and displaced thousands of people, making restoration of law and order one of the most pressing challenges before the state police leadership.