SRINAGAR: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has approved the appointment of IPS officer Rakesh Balwal as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) on deputation.
According to an official order issued on May 25, 2026, Balwal, a 2012-batch IPS officer of the Manipur cadre, has been appointed to the post under the usual terms and conditions governing central deputation.
The Ministry has directed the Government of Manipur to relieve the officer without delay to enable him to assume his new assignment at the Centre.
Balwal has previously held several key positions in Jammu and Kashmir, serving in senior policing roles and handling major security-related assignments.
A native of Udhampur district in Jammu and Kashmir, he is known for his role in the investigation into the 2019 Pulwama terror attack and for his tenure as Senior Superintendent of Police in Srinagar.
The officer has also been awarded the Union Home Minister’s Medal for Excellence in Investigation, the Chief of Army Staff Commendation, and a commendation from the Director General of the CRPF.
He had earlier served on deputation with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for three-and-a-half years as Superintendent of Police and was part of the team that investigated the 2019 Pulwama terror attack, in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
