Kathmandu, February 10

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli-led Cabinet held a meeting today to appoint the next Inspector General of Police but failed to take a call today.

The next meeting of the Cabinet has been called for tomorrow when the Cabinet is expected to decide on the next chief of Nepal Police.

Incumbent IGP Sarbendra Khanal will retire from service tomorrow as he completes 30 years in service.

Three additional inspector generals — Pushkar Karki, Dhiru Basnet and Thule Rai — will also retire from service tomorrow along with IGP Khanal.

Currently, there are 36 deputy inspector generals, of which 18 are Khanal’s batch mates and they too will retire from service tomorrow. The government will have to pick the next IGP from the remaining 18 DIGs.

Of the 18 DIGs, the government is likely to pick from three senior DIGs — Thakur Gyawali, Tarini Prasad Lamsal and Surya Prasad Upadhyay.

These three DIGs are also batch mates of Khanal, but they are almost five months junior to him as they joined the service as alternative candidates five months after Khanal had joined the service.

Gyawali, Lamsal and Upadhyay will also retire from service after about five months.

Sarbendra Khanal was appointed as the 26th Inspector General of Police on 10 April 2018 after IGP Prakash Aryal retired from Nepal Police completing 30 years in service.