G.M. Srivastava

Guwahati, Dec. 1: Dispur today removed the state police chief, R.N. Mathur, and decided to hand over charge to the former director-general of police of Tripura, G.M. Srivastava.

The government has also decided to move the Centre to set up a National Security Guard (NSG) hub for the Northeast in Guwahati.

The chief minister’s press adviser Debo Kumar Bora and Mathur confirmed the change of guard.

“It is true. But I don’t know about my new posting,” said Mathur, who has been on shaky ground since the October 30 serial blasts in the state.

Bora said the order declaring the change was issued this evening.

Dispur’s choice of Mathur’s replacement assumes significance as Srivastava had courted controversy for his alleged role in the secret killings between 1998 and 2001.

Currently the director-general of civil defence and home guards, Srivastava was then the inspector-general of police (operations).

Intending to tighten its anti-terrosist circle of security in the region, Governor S.C. Mathur will formally move Centre to build an NSG set-up in Guwahati to reduce reaction time during subversive attacks.