Ashok Prasad takes over as new Kashmir police chief

Ashok Prasad, an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of 1979 batch, Monday took over as the new director general of Jammu and Kashmir Police, ahead of schedule.

Acting DGP K. Rajendra Kumar handed over charge to Prasad at the police headquarters here Monday.

Prasad then called on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after taking over his new responsibility.

He was the additional director of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) in the state before he was chosen for the high profile job from among a panel of three other senior police officers.

Prasad was scheduled to join his new assignment after completion of his vacation Aug 1 but sources here said union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had advised Prasad to cut it short.

The sources said that the recent destruction of some local shrines in mysterious fire incidents had caused worries both in Srinagar and New Delhi.