Vijay Kumar is new ADGP Law & Order J&K

Srinagar, Nov 7: The Jammu and Kashmir government Tuesday appointed Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Kashmir Zone, Vijay Kumar as the new ADGP Law and Order.
He would demit the office as the longest-serving Police chief of Kashmir.

“Vijay Kumar, IPS (AGMUT: 1997), ADGP Kashmir, is transferred and posted as ADGP (Law and Order), J&K. A post in the rank of ADGP - ADGP (Law and Order), J&K, is temporarily added to the J&K Segment of AGMUT cadre in terms of 2nd proviso to sub-rule (2) of Rule 4 of the Indian Police Service (cadre) Rules, 1954, for two years or till the post is held by the said officer, whichever is earlier,” read an order issued by the J&K Home Department on Tuesday.

“The Zonal IGPs of Kashmir and Jammu will report to ADGP Law and Order, J&K, under the overall command and control of DGP, J&K,” it read.
The decorated IPS officer of the erstwhile J&K cadre (now AGMUT), Kumar was posted as IGP Kashmir in December 2019 and he took over from S P Pani.
ADGP Kumar remains the longest-serving Police chief of Kashmir so far – for about four years.
Before the abrogation of Article 370, he was repatriated prematurely in May 2019 from the central deputation at the request of the J&K government.

He was first posted as IG Armed and later on December 30 as IGP Kashmir and then as ADGP Kashmir Zone.
During his tenure as IGP and ADGP Kashmir, the fight against terrorism remained one of the main focuses.
Hailing from Saharsa district of Bihar, Kumar has done an MA from JNU, New Delhi.

He has mostly served in the most troubled areas of the Kashmir region which include Pulwama, Awantipora, Kulgam, and Anantnag.
Besides, he is the only IPS officer of the erstwhile J&K cadre who has experience in both handling anti-terrorist and anti-Maoist operations and law and order problems inside and outside J&K.
Kumar has maximum field experience in the Kashmir region amongst all serving IPS officers of the erstwhile J&K cadre and also served in SOG, an anti-terrorist wing of J&K Police, in south Kashmir.

In the past, he served in Kashmir as SDPO Ganderbal, SP Operation Pulwama, SP Awantipora, SP Kulgam, SP Kupwara, DIG South Kashmir Range, Anantnag.
Kumar has served in the CRPF as well.

He was posted as DIG New Delhi Range, IG CoBRA sector, IG Ops Directorate, and IG Chhattisgarh sector.
Kumar was awarded the President’s Police Medal for distinguished services.

The President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (PPM) is the highest award given for a special distinguished record in Police Service.
The medal is awarded for distinguished service to officers who have served at least 25 years in the state, central Police, or in security organisations.
Kumar received various medals from the President of India in the past too for his exemplary work.

He was awarded with Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG) in 2003, the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry (PPMG) in 2005, the Police Medal for Meritorious Service (PMMS) in 2013, the Police Medal for Gallantry (PMG-Bar) in 2019, and President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Services (PPMDS) in 2023.
He was awarded with medals by the J&K government as well.

The medals include the J&K Police Medal for Gallantry in 2003, the J&K Police Medal for Gallantry (Bar) in 2021, and the J&K Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2022.
Kumar has been felicitated with the awards like COAS (Army Chief) in 2007, GOC-in-C (Army Commander) in 2005, DG CRPF in 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2019 and DGP J&K in 2003.
He was assigned the task of chief force coordinator of CAPFs during assembly elections of nine states in the year 2018 and was awarded the prestigious National Award 2018 for providing a safe environment for election by the ECI and the award was conferred by the President of India.

Importantly, Kumar handled the situation peacefully after the death of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, conducted the first-ever election of DDC incident-free, and stopped handing over bodies of terrorists to their families and burial in their native places.

During his tenure, there was almost zero killing of civilians by law enforcement agencies during law and order situations, minimum collateral damage during encounters, and a dramatic reduction in recruitment
of youth into terrorism.

From 210 recruitments in 2018 to 10 recruitment in 2023, incident-free G20 summit, Muharram procession in the city after 34 years, incident-free Padyatra of Rahul Gandhi, incident-free Amarnath Yatra in 2022 and 2023, a huge number of tourists started coming and no attack on tourist was reported, a huge number of MPs, ministers, and Judges of SC and HCs visited Kashmir, incident-free Tiranga rallies happened while on the investigation front, 1395 cases of UAPA were disposed of and disposal percentage went up to 87 percent, beside conviction in UAPA cases also started from 2021 and 605 terrorists were killed.