New Delhi | August 21, 2025
The Centre has appointed senior IPS officer Satish Golcha as the new Commissioner of Delhi Police, replacing SBK Singh, who had been holding the post as an additional charge since late July. Singh will now continue as Director General of Home Guards.
Golcha, a 1992-batch officer of the AGMUT cadre, is currently serving as the Director General of Tihar Jail. His elevation to the top post of Delhi Police comes at a critical juncture—just a day after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta was attacked, and amid heightened concern in the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) over the recent spike in gun violence and street crimes across the capital.
Extensive Experience in Policing
A familiar face in Delhi’s law enforcement, Golcha has held several important assignments over the years. He has served as Special Commissioner (Intelligence), Joint CP, and DCP across different districts of the city. Notably, he was Special CP (Law & Order) during the 2020 Northeast Delhi riots, a period marked by widespread violence.
Beyond the capital, Golcha also served as the Director General of Police (DGP) in Arunachal Pradesh, which expanded his administrative and leadership credentials.
Known for his strategic approach and firm handling of sensitive issues, he is expected to prioritize restoring public confidence in law enforcement and tightening security in the national capital.
Work with the CBI
Apart from his tenure in the Delhi Police, Golcha has worked with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), where he led several high-profile probes. Among his most notable investigations was the 2009 Shopian case in Jammu and Kashmir. The incident, initially portrayed as the rape and murder of two women by security forces, had triggered widespread unrest. However, the CBI team headed by Golcha concluded that the deaths were due to drowning and that the charges had been fabricated at the behest of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, to destabilize the region.
He was also part of investigations into the Ruchika Girhotra molestation and suicide case, the Rizwanur Rahman death case in Kolkata, and inquiries related to the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
Challenges Ahead
Golcha takes over the reins of Delhi Police at a time when public safety is a pressing concern. The recent attack on the chief minister, coupled with rising incidents of violent street crimes, has placed the force under sharp public and political scrutiny.
As he assumes charge, expectations are high that Golcha’s experience in handling crises, combined with his track record of leading sensitive probes, will help him steer the Delhi Police towards restoring order and ensuring safety for the nearly 3 crore residents of the capital.
