Bihar DGP Vinay Kumar Retires Voluntarily, Gets New Role As Chief Information Commissioner

Bihar Director General of Police Vinay Kumar has taken voluntary retirement from the Indian Police Service, months before his scheduled superannuation, and has been appointed the state's new Chief Information Commissioner (CIC).

The 1991-batch IPS officer, whose tenure as Bihar DGP was due to end in December, applied for voluntary retirement on September 25. The state Home Department accepted his request with immediate effect, waiving the requirement of serving the usual three-month notice period.

A separate notification issued by the General Administration Department said Kumar has been appointed Chief Information Commissioner with effect from the date he assumes charge. His appointment places him at the head of the Bihar State Information Commission, which deals with appeals and complaints under the Right to Information Act.

Kumar had recently gone on leave after citing health-related reasons. According to official sources, he is expected to undergo treatment before taking charge of his new assignment. The decision to seek VRS came while he was away from office.

Kumar's move also formalises a leadership change at the top of the Bihar Police. Preeta Verma, another 1991-batch IPS officer, had taken charge as acting DGP after Kumar went on leave earlier this month. She is expected to continue in the role until further orders.

Kumar's appointment as CIC comes before the scheduled end of his tenure as DGP, marking a shift from heading the state's police force to overseeing a statutory body central to citizens' right to access information from public authorities.