New Delhi, July 18 -- The central government on Friday removed IPS officer Satish Golchha as the Delhi Police commissioner, nine months before his term ended, and replaced him with Intelligence Bureau (IB) special director Anurag Kumar in an unusual decision that surprised the ranks. Kumar, a 1994-batch IPS officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, succeeded Golchha, who was appointed Delhi Police commissioner on August 21, 2025. Kumar's return to his parent cadre was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "With the approval of the Competent Authority, Anurag Kumar, IPS (AGMUT:1994) is hereby appointed as Commissioner of Police, Delhi with effect from the date of assumption of charge and until further orders," the order stated. Kumar, an engineering graduate, supersedes three officers -- Garima Bhatnagar and Rajesh Khurana (both 1994 batch) and Robin Hibu (1993 batch) -- to become Delhi's top cop. All three are special commissioners of police in Delhi Police. "Sh. Satish Golcha, IPS (AGMUT:1992) is directed to report to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi for further posting, upon assumption of charge by the new incumbent," the order added. The move comes three days before the proposed march to Parliament by the Cockroach Janta Party and activist Sonam Wangchuk, who has been on a hunger strike for over 20 days now, demanding the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The monsoon session of Parliament begins on Monday. Nearly an hour after he took over the reins, Kumar held a meeting with all special commissioners of police (special CPs) about law and order in Delhi. Police officers said Kumar asked them about the measures being taken for security around Delhi. Kumar also asked officers about the CJP protest and the protesters' planned march to Parliament on Monday. He directed the officers to ensure proper security arrangements are put in place. The meeting went on for around an hour and another brief meeting with the special CPs happened around 4pm, said a police officer, who did not want to be named. Golchha had spent Friday morning planting saplings with Delhi's environment minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa as a part of a plantation drive. Around two hours later, Kumar reached the Delhi Police headquarters and took over the charge of the police chief. After handing over the baton to Kumar, Golchha left the police headquarters, said a police officer posted there, asking not to be named. "Everything happened so quickly that the traditional ceremony for the outgoing police commissioner, which included the guard of honour and his final address to the police, could not be arranged for Golchha. Even for the new CP, the guard of honour was delayed because no one knew this would happen," said the officer cited above. "Kumar was welcomed by special commissioners of police present at the headquarters and taken straight to the 17th floor police chief's office, where the baton handing ceremony was done. Only later did members of the Delhi Police ceremonial guard arrive. Senior officers accompanied Kumar to the ground floor reception area, where he was given the formal guard of honour," the officer added. The process, which was completely under wraps, began on Wednesday, and an order was issued on Thursday wherein the home ministry placed Kumar back to his parent cadre (AGMUT) for a period of three years, from the date of joining, "in relaxation of the IPS Tenure Policy." Kumar had last served the Delhi Police as deputy commissioner of police (northeast district) between 2004 and 2006 before moving to the IB under the central deputation scheme. Before his tenure as deputy commissioner of police of the northeast district, Kumar was the additional DCP in the same district between 2002 and 2004, officials said....