SSB DG Sanjay Singhal Gets Additional Charge of ITBP After Kapoor’s Retirement on October 31
New Delhi, 28 October 2026: The Ministry of Home Affairs has given Sanjay Singhal, Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal, additional charge of Director General of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police from 31 October 2026, after the superannuation of incumbent DG Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor.
According to an office memorandum issued by the MHA on 27 October 2026, Singhal, an IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre from the 1993 batch, will take over the additional responsibility “upon superannuation of Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, IPS (HY:1990) on 31.10.2026 and till the appointment of a regular incumbent or until further orders, whichever is earlier.” He will continue to head the SSB while also overseeing the ITBP.
Kapoor’s short tenure at ITBP
Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor, a 1990-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, took charge as DG, ITBP on 19 January 2026. He succeeded Praveen Kumar, who was then appointed Director General of the Border Security Force. Kapoor’s appointment was always set against his retirement date of 31 October 2026, which means his tenure in the force lasted about 10 months.
Before joining the ITBP, Kapoor served as Director General of Police, Haryana, from August 2023 until he was sent on leave in October 2025 amid controversy following the suicide of 2001-batch IPS officer Y. Puran Kumar.
His brief period at the helm of the mountain border force came at a time when attention remained focused on the India-China boundary. On 22 October 2026, while speaking at an ITBP event in Alwar, Rajasthan, Kapoor said that face-offs with Chinese PLA troops continued at several locations in Arunachal Pradesh and praised the role of the force’s Shaurya commandos. His remarks prompted political reactions and calls for clarity on the situation along the Line of Actual Control.
Singhal’s policing background
Singhal has been serving as the 27th Director General of the SSB since 1 September 2025, after the retirement of Amrit Mohan Prasad. His term as DG, SSB is scheduled to run until his superannuation on 31 December 2028, or until further orders.
Before taking over the SSB, he was Special Director General in the Border Security Force. He also has significant experience in the ITBP, having served in the force from 2008 to 2015 as Deputy Inspector General and Inspector General. In Uttar Pradesh, his cadre state, he has held several important appointments, including Additional Director General (Establishment, Railways and Crime), multiple Inspector General and Superintendent of Police postings, and command roles in Provincial Armed Constabulary units.
Singhal has been awarded the President’s Police Medal and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.
Why the ITBP post matters
The ITBP, raised in 1962, is responsible for guarding India’s approximately 3,488-km border with China along the Line of Actual Control, much of it in high-altitude Himalayan terrain. The force specialises in mountain warfare and border management. The SSB, which Singhal will continue to lead, is primarily tasked with securing the borders with Nepal and Bhutan and also handles internal security duties.
The interim arrangement gives the ITBP continuity in leadership at a time when border management along the LAC remains operationally important. As of 27 October 2026, no regular appointment to the post of DG, ITBP had been announced. Singhal’s previous stint in the force is likely to help ensure a smoother transition during the period of additional charge.
