SSB Chief Sanjay Singhal Handed Extra Charge of ITBP Following Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor’s Retirement on 31 October

In a leadership transition at the paramilitary level, the Ministry of Home Affairs has entrusted Sanjay Singhal currently the Director General of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) — with the added responsibility of leading the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). The new role takes effect from 31 October 2026, coinciding with the retirement of the serving ITBP chief, Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor.

As per the office memorandum released by the MHA on 27 October 2026, Singhal, a 1993-batch IPS officer from the Uttar Pradesh cadre, will take on the ITBP’s top post once Kapoor, a 1990-batch IPS officer of the Haryana cadre, demits office on his superannuation date. The directive specifies that Singhal will hold this charge until a permanent appointee is named or until fresh instructions are issued, whichever comes first. He will simultaneously keep steering the SSB.

Shatrujeet Singh Kapoor’s Stint at ITBP

Kapoor stepped into the role of DG, ITBP on 19 January 2026, taking over from Praveen Kumar, who moved on to head the Border Security Force. His posting was always tied to his retirement timeline, giving him a brief run of roughly ten months. Earlier in his career, he served as Haryana’s Director General of Police from August 2023 before being placed on leave in October 2025 during the fallout surrounding the death by suicide of Y. Puran Kumar, a 2001-batch IPS officer.

His tenure played out against a backdrop of growing focus on the India-China frontier. Speaking at an ITBP function in Alwar, Rajasthan, on 22 October 2026, Kapoor noted that standoffs with Chinese PLA soldiers were still occurring at multiple points in Arunachal Pradesh and commended the contribution of the force’s Shaurya commandos. The comments triggered political responses and demands for greater transparency regarding developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Who Is Sanjay Singhal?

Singhal has been heading the SSB as its 27th Director General since 1 September 2025, having taken the baton from Amrit Mohan Prasad. His SSB term runs until his retirement on 31 December 2028, unless orders state otherwise.

Before his SSB appointment, he held the position of Special Director General in the Border Security Force. Notably, he brings direct ITBP experience to the table, having served within the force between 2008 and 2015 as Deputy Inspector General and Inspector General. Across his home cadre of Uttar Pradesh, Singhal occupied several important roles, including Additional Director General handling Establishment, Railways and Crime, multiple IG and Superintendent of Police postings, and leadership of Provincial Armed Constabulary formations. His service has been recognised with the President’s Police Medal and the Police Medal for Meritorious Service.

Why This Matters Operationally

Established in 1962, the ITBP safeguards roughly 3,488 km of India’s boundary with China along the LAC, operating largely across rugged, high-altitude Himalayan zones. The force is known for its expertise in mountain combat and frontier control. The SSB, by contrast, mainly watches over the borders shared with Nepal and Bhutan while also handling internal security tasks.

This temporary handover keeps ITBP’s command chain intact during a phase when guarding the LAC carries real strategic weight. No permanent successor to the DG, ITBP post had been declared as of 27 October 2026. Given Singhal’s past stint with the force, officials expect the changeover to proceed smoothly through the period of additional charge.