India, June 17 -- Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sundarraj Pattilingam, who spearheaded the anti-Maoist operations in Chhattisgarh's Bastar, the erstwhile Left-wing insurgent stronghold, has been appointed National Investigation Agency (NIA) inspector general (IG) nearly three months after the government declared India Maoist-free.

The Union home ministry issued an order on Tuesday for Pattilingam's new assignment, which he will take up after the Chhattisgarh government relieves him. The ministry requested the state to relieve Pattilingam immediately to enable him to assume the charge of his first central deputation.

Pattilingam, 46, a 2003 batch IPS officer, served for 12 years in Bastar, where the banned Communist Party of India ...