Shikha Goel Appointed Telangana Home Secretary; Major IPS Reshuffle Sparks DGP Speculation

Hyderabad, April 2026 : The Telangana government on Friday appointed senior IPS officer Shikha Goel as the new Principal Secretary (Home), triggering a wider administrative reshuffle and speculation over the next Director General of Police (DGP).

Goel, a 1994-batch IPS officer, is currently serving as Director General of Vigilance & Enforcement and ex officio Principal Secretary in the General Administration Department. According to an official government order, she will continue to hold additional charge as Director of the Telangana Cyber Security Bureau and Director of the Telangana Forensic Science Laboratory until further notice.

Her appointment to the key Home Department post has intensified speculation that C V Anand, currently serving as Special Chief Secretary (Home), may soon be named the next DGP. Anand, a 1996-batch IPS officer of Director General rank, is expected to succeed incumbent DGP Shivdhar Reddy, who is set to retire on April 30.

Anand brings extensive experience, having previously served as Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), as well as holding the position of Hyderabad Police Commissioner on two occasions. He has also served as the Police Commissioner of Cyberabad, making him a strong contender for the state’s top policing role.

As part of the reshuffle, several other senior IPS officers have been reassigned. Additional Director General of Police (Personnel) Devendra Singh Chauhan has been posted as Director General (Vigilance & Enforcement) and will also serve as ex officio Principal Secretary in the General Administration Department.

Shahnawaz Qasim, who was serving as Director General of the Drugs Control Administration, has been transferred as Inspector General of Police (IGP), Multi-Zone-II. He will also hold additional charge as IGP (Personnel).

Meanwhile, Anti-Corruption Bureau Director Tarun Joshi has been appointed Commissioner of Police of Future City, replacing G Sudheer Babu, who is due to retire later this month.

In another key move, Avinash Mohanty, currently serving as Malkajgiri Police Commissioner, has been transferred as Director General of the Drugs Control Administration and Director of Prohibition & Excise. He will also hold additional charge as Director of the Anti-Corruption Bureau.

Further changes include the appointment of B Sumathi as the new Malkajgiri Police Commissioner, while Karthikeya has been given additional charge as IGP, State Intelligence Bureau.

The reshuffle is seen as a significant administrative overhaul aimed at strengthening governance and law enforcement in Telangana, with more changes likely as the state prepares for key appointments in the coming days.