The Telangana government has named IPS officer Battula Shivadhar Reddy as the new Director General of Police (DGP), a key move to lead the state’s top law enforcement role. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy approved the appointment, with orders coming from Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao. Reddy, who currently heads the Director General of Police, Intelligence, steps into the position as DGP (Coordination) and takes full additional charge as DGP (Head of Police Force).
He replaces Dr. Jithender, who retires after reaching superannuation age. This change brings fresh leadership to the Telangana police force at a time when the state focuses on security and intelligence challenges.
A 1994-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, Shivadhar Reddy started his career as a lawyer in Hyderabad before acing the Civil Services Examination. Born and raised in the city, he earned his LLB from Osmania University. He joined the IPS that same year and got assigned to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. When the state split in 2014, his services shifted to the newly formed Telangana.
Reddy kicked off his policing journey as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Visakhapatnam district’s Anakapalli, Narsipatnam, and Chintapalli areas. He later joined the elite Greyhounds unit in Adilabad’s Bellampalli to tackle tough operations. Over the years, he served as Superintendent of Police in districts like Nalgonda, Srikakulam, Nellore, and Guntur. In Hyderabad, he managed traffic as Deputy Commissioner of Police in 2004 and led the South Zone as DCP from 2007 to 2008. He also headed the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) as Superintendent of Police.
His international stint came with a posting to the United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) for peacekeeping duties. Rising through the ranks, Reddy became Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of SIB, then Additional Director and later Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) after his promotion to Inspector General.
From 2012 to 2014, he ran things as Commissioner of Police in Visakhapatnam. In 2014, he made history as Telangana’s first Chief of the Intelligence Department at the Inspector General level. He later handled the Personnel Wing for Railways and Road Safety as Additional DGP. The Congress government brought him back as Intelligence Chief in December 2023, and after his August 2024 promotion, he stayed in the role at the DGP rank.
People in policing circles praise Shivadhar Reddy as a straightforward, fair, and dedicated officer who stays impartial no matter what. He played a big part in fighting Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) and breaking up terror networks across states, boosting Telangana’s security efforts.
His stellar work earned him top honors, including the Police Medal for Gallantry in 2002, Antrik Suraksha Seva Medal in 2003, United Nations Peace Medal in 2003, Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Service in 2011, President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2020, Ati Utkrisht Seva Padak in 2023, a Commendation Letter from the Director of Intelligence Bureau in 2015, and the Asadharan Aasuchana Kushalta Padak in 2018 for outstanding intelligence ops.
With Reddy at the helm, the Telangana police look set for strong, effective leadership in the months ahead.
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