The government on Monday evening appointed Additional Inspector General Dr Dinesh Chandra Pokhrel as the acting chief of Nepal Police after the Supreme Court blocked Jaya Bahadur Chand’s appointment as Inspector General.
The Cabinet made the decision after amending Rule 46 of the Police Regulation, 2014, to allow an interim arrangement when the police chief’s post becomes vacant and regular work could be affected. The Prime Minister’s Secretariat said the change was necessary to keep police operations running smoothly.
The leadership crisis came after Inspector General Upendra Kant Aryal and 11 other AIGs retired on Monday due to the 30-year service limit. Three DIGs also retired the same day. With the senior officers leaving, Dr Pokhrel — although from the technical side of the force — became the senior-most officer remaining in Nepal Police.
Before the court order, four DIGs — Jaya Bahadur Chand, Nawa Raj Silwal, Prakash Aryal and Bam Bahadur Bhandari — were competing for the top post. Silwal later moved the Supreme Court, claiming he was the most senior and qualified candidate and arguing that the government’s decision violated police regulations.
