IPS officer Sulkhan Singh on Friday was appointed the new Uttar Pradesh director general of police as part of Chief Minister Adityanath’s reshuffle in the top ranks of the force. Singh replaces Javeed Ahmed (pictured above), who was transferred to a lower rank – he will now serve as the director general of the Uttar Pradesh Provincial Armed Constabulary, a senior state Home Ministry department official told PTI.

In total, 12 senior police officers were transferred in the Adityanath administration’s first major reshuffle among police rankings. One of the key changes in order was the swap in positions between Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Daljit Singh Chowdhury with ADG of the Economic Offences Wing Aditya Mishra.

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Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Singh said that the police had strict instructions from the chief minister to take action against anyone indulging in criminal activities, even when they are from the ruling party. “Any gundagardi [hooliganism] will be acted upon. The Uttar Pradesh Police will work with total impartiality,” he said. On the state’s so-called Anti-Romeo squads, he said they will take action only against “objectionable behaviour”. He said he would also be tough on any vigilantism from those who claim to be cow protectors.

Singh’s tenure as the Uttar Pradesh DGP is expected to be short as his superannuation is due in September, according to PTI. During the recent Assembly polls, the Bharatiya Janata Party had appealed to the Election Commission for Ahmed’s removal as the state police chief, alleging that he was working on the Samajwadi Party’s command.

This comes after the Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday conducted its second major bureaucratic reshuffle in less than a week, transferring 44 IAS officers. The first such drill, involving 20 IAS officers, was carried out on April 12.