KATHMANDU, Feb 12: The government has appointed Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Thakur Prasad Gyawali as the new chief of Nepal Police.

A cabinet meeting held on Tuesday appointed Gyawali as the 27th Inspector General (IG) of Nepal Police. He succeeds Sarbendra Khanal, who retired from the service the same day under the 30-year service limit.

The cabinet meeting endorsed the proposal by Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa to appoint Gyawali as new head of the police organization on seniority basis. Two other DIGs – Tarini Prasad Lamsal and Surya Upadhyaya – were also in the race to become police chief.

Gyawali has made it to the post of IG without having served as AIG – a level in the police hierarchy between DIG and IG – as the Nepal Police lacks a proper succession system. This is the third time an IG has been picked from among serving DIGs.

The new IG is scheduled to assume office on Wednesday. Prior to his appointment as IG, Gyawali was serving as chief of police in Province 1.

The new IG will lead the around 70,000-strong police force for the next five months before he also is due to retire from service on July 9, 2020 under the 30-year service limit. 

Born and raised in Bandikot of Pyuthan district, Gyawali joined the Nepali Police as an inspector on July 9, 1990.

The 54-year-old was promoted to DSP on May 11, 2011. As DSP, Gyawali served six years at the Narcotics Control Bureau. He was posted to Rukum and Butwal for a year each.

Gyawali was promoted to SP on Dec 13, 2009. He then served in Dang, Bara and Jhapa districts. He also became chief of the Metropolitan Police Crime Division. 

Gyawali was promoted to SSP on July 12, 2016. He then served at Police headquarters for more than two years before being promoted to DIG on October 14, 2018. He headed the police in Province 1 after being promoted to DIG. 

Gyawali also has experience of UN peacekeeping assignments in Haiti and Kosovo.

His younger brother, Shyam Gyawali, is also in the Nepal Police. The younger Gyawali is an SSP at the Metropolitan Police Office, Ranipokhari. 

Also on Tuesday, terms of three AIGs and 17 DIGs expired. The AIGs who retired from service are Pushkar Karki, Thule Rai and Dhiru Basnet.

Meanwhile, speaking at the farewell ceremony, outgoing IG Sarbendra Khanal said that Nepal Police during his tenure partnered with 753 local units for the ‘Community Police Partnership’ program. “The program has been defined as a game changer project by the National Planning Commission,” he said adding that a total of 158 police stations were constructed during his tenure. He also added that a total of 122 police stations are under construction.

 
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