Guwahati: “Assam police is a philosophy and service,” said outgoing Director General of Police (DGP) of Assam, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, as he attended a farewell parade here on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, he said, “After my service, I will continue to be part of the Assam police since it is a philosophy, way of life, and service that I will salute a thousand times.”

 “For every police personnel, it’s not a job but a service”, Mahanta added.

Mahanta said that if Assam police continued to improve its efficiency and discipline, it would surely become one of the top police forces in the country. Assam police will be also like Telangana Police as the top force of the country. No one will be able to stop us, he stated.

It was during his tenure when the Assam police was awarded the President’s Colour for its exemplary service during the last 25 years. Assam is the 10th state in the country to receive the President’s Colour, the highest honour given to any military or police unit in recognition of exceptional service rendered to the nation, both in peace and war.

During his tenure, the state police also succeeded to bust at least, nine terror modules of the Ansarullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent and arrested 53 suspected terrorists in 2022. During his service, the ‘war on drugs’ campaign was launched to free the state from the menace of the illegal narcotics trade in the state. His tenure also witnessed a massive crackdown on cattle smuggling across the state.

Besides, what marked one of the biggest successes in his tenure was the state recording zero rhino poaching incidents in 2022.

Mahanta, a 1988 batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, was also issued with a death warrant by the militant outfit of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), a few years after he joined the Indian Police Service.

His tenure also saw the capture of top ULFA hardliner faction leader Drishti Rajkhowa, second in command of the banned ULFA (Independent) and close confidant of Paresh Baruah as well as the surrender of Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO)’s chief Jibon Singha.

Bidding farewell to Mahanta, the newly appointed DGP GP Singh said, “It was my luck that I am taking charge of this powerful force from Mahanta, sir. In my tenure as a police officer, I had the privilege to learn policing from seniors like Mahanta.” Singh will be the new Assam DGP from Wednesday.