Lucknow: Rajiv Krishna was appointed as the new acting Director General of Police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. He is the fifth consecutive officer to hold the post in an acting capacity.
With a long and distinguished career in policing, Rajiv Krishna is known for his innovative work in high-tech policing and efforts to modernize the UP Police.
Born on 26 June 1969 in Gautam Buddha Nagar, Rajiv Krishna joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) in 1991. He has a degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering. His father’s name is HK Mittal.
Before this appointment, Rajiv Krishna was serving as the Director General of Vigilance and also as the Chairman of the UP Police Recruitment Board. He was made the recruitment board chairman after the police constable paper leak in March 2024. His appointment came at a time when the state government was facing criticism over the issue.
Rajiv Krishna first gained widespread recognition during his posting as Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) in Agra in 2004. During his tenure there, he ran a special campaign against criminals and took strong action against kidnapping gangs operating in the Chambal region.
Within the police department, Rajiv Krishna is regarded as an expert in technology-led policing. While serving as Additional Director General (ADG), he launched the Operation Pehchaan app to track criminals more effectively. He also helped bring online monitoring systems to Mahila Beat and the Anti-Romeo Squad. He is credited with introducing the e-malkhana system, which keeps digital records of evidence and case-related items.
Throughout his career, Rajiv Krishna has served as SP/SSP in several important districts, including Mathura, Etawah, Agra, Noida, and Lucknow. He was also the founding chief of the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS). In addition, he served as Inspector General of Operations in the Border Security Force (BSF) for four years, where he worked on operations along the India-Pakistan and India-Bangladesh borders.
Rajiv Krishna’s appointment comes after he superseded several senior IPS officers. His family has a strong background in public service, his wife is an IRS officer currently serving as Deputy Secretary in the CBDT office in Noida. His brother-in-law, Rajeshwar Singh, is a former Enforcement Directorate officer and now a BJP MLA from Sarojini Nagar in Lucknow. There are more than six officers from his family in various government services.
