IGP Kunwar and nine senior police officials to retire

Kathmandu, March 16 — Inspector General of Police (IGP) Basanta Bahadur Kunwar, along with nine other senior police officers, will retire on Monday.

Kunwar, who was appointed IGP on March 24, 2023, is retiring after completing a 30-year service.

He has commanded a force of approximately 89,000 personnel for nearly two years.

Along with Kunwar, Additional Inspectors General (AIG) Tek Prasad Rai, Buddhi Raj Gurung, Durga Singh, Kuber Kadayat, and Janak Bhattarai will also retire.

Their batchmates, Deputy Inspectors General (DIG) Ganesh Chand, Bhola Rawal, and Dhruba Raj Raut, will retire from midnight on March 17.

Tek Prasad Rai was also a candidate for IGP alongside Kunwar.

This batch’s Shyam Lal Gyawali and Kiran Bajracharya have already retired.

Janak Bhattarai was recently promoted to AIG.

DIG Ganesh Chand is currently the head of the Sudurpashchim Province Police, while Bhola Rawal is the head of Gandaki Province Police.

Rawal left for Kathmandu from the Gandaki Province Police Office on Sunday.

With Kunwar’s retirement, there is growing speculation about who will be Nepal's 31st IGP.

The government under the leadership of Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ had appointed Kunwar as IGP based on seniority, as Kunwar was at the top of the seniority list.

Decisions on new IGP expected on Monday

Due to delays in the new police law, Kunwar’s retirement ceremony will be held at the police headquarters on Monday.

Before his departure, a farewell dinner has been organized at the police headquarters on Sunday evening.

A Cabinet meeting will be held on Monday morning to make a decision regarding the new IGP appointment.

According to a senior official from the Prime Minister’s office, the Cabinet will decide on the new IGP appointment that morning.

Three Additional Inspectors General (AIG) are competing for the position of IGP.

They are Deepak Thapa, Sudeep Giri, and Tek Bahadur Tamang.

Thapa is the chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), Giri works at the National Police Training Institute, and Tamang is stationed at the Valley Police Office.