Former Greater Chennai Police commissioner A Arun was on Monday, 25 May 2026, appointed as Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) and director of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC), a posting that has reignited political debate due to the sharp allegations levelled against him by the ruling TVK during the Assembly election campaign.
The Tamil Nadu government also appointed Maheshwar Dayal as ADGP (Administration), Chennai, and T S Anbu as ADGP (Law and Order), Chennai.
Notably, the posts assigned to Arun and Dayal were downgraded from vacant Director General of Police-rank positions.
Arun’s appointment has drawn immediate attention because senior TVK leaders had repeatedly accused him during the election period of acting in favour of the DMK government and allegedly obstructing the party’s campaign activities across Chennai.
At the time, Arun was serving as the Greater Chennai Police Commissioner and oversaw policing in the capital during one of the state’s most politically charged elections.
TVK leaders had accused the Chennai police under Arun of denying permissions, creating administrative hurdles and failing to ensure adequate security during actor-politician Vijay’s campaign events.
The controversy escalated after Vijay filed his nomination from the Perambur constituency. One of his major campaign programmes in Villivakkam was later cancelled by TVK citing swelling crowds and inadequate security arrangements.
During the campaign, TVK General Secretary for Election Campaign Management Aadhav Arjuna launched a blistering attack on Arun and demanded his immediate removal.
“We are repeatedly requesting the Chief Electoral Officer, madam: without changing the city commissioner, it is impossible to create a neutral law-and-order situation here. In Tholathur they tried to do in Karur what happened there; it was Mr Arun, Commissioner Arun, who took that initiative. That is why they made the police a ‘free zone’ there. So Chennai City Commissioner Arun, must be changed immediately. If possible, he should be sent to some other state on deputation – wherever elections are being held, to Kerala or some other state; better still, send him to Assam. Only then will it be correct; only if he is sent to Assam will it be correct,” Aadhav Arjuna had said.
“That is how much of a dishonest officer he is, still staying here. Just as the Karur police department created that ‘Karur incident’, in the same way Commissioner Arun is failing to ensure the safety of the people in Chennai and is trying to create another such incident, a ‘stampede’, targeting our leader and our party. We strongly condemn this in advance,” he added.
TVK had also submitted representations to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Chief Electoral Officer Archana Patnaik seeking the transfer of Arun and several other officials, alleging that they were favouring the DMK during the campaign period.
The Election Commission of India later placed Arun on compulsory wait while the Model Code of Conduct was in force.
Arun had been appointed Chennai Police Commissioner in July 2024 following the murder of K Armstrong, a killing that triggered major administrative reshuffles within the Chennai police establishment.
Before becoming Chennai commissioner, Arun had served as ADGP (Law and Order).
Soon after assuming office as commissioner, he had also faced criticism over remarks that police would “speak to criminals in the language they understand”, comments that prompted the State Human Rights Commission to seek an explanation from the police department.
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