A former Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik today formally joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal here.
The 1979 batch IPS officer, who retired from service on September 30, 2015, joined the BJD at Naveen Niwas in the presence of the party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"Arup Patnaik will prove to be a valuable asset for the party," the chief minister said while welcoming him to the party.
"I have joined BJD as a worker of the party. I thank CM Naveen Patnaik for providing me an opportunity to work for the people of my land," Arup Patnaik said after joining the BJD.
When asked about contesting in 2019 general elections, he said, "I have not yet thought about it."
Arup Patnaik is incidentally the first and only Odia IPS officer to hold the post of Police Commissioner of Mumbai Police.
He is the recipient of the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service in 2003 and the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Services in 1994.
Born on September 8, 1955 in Bhubaneswar, he attended Mayo College in Ajmer.
Prior to joining the Indian Police Service in 1979, he had worked with the State Bank of India for a period of approximately two years.
A recipient of the Director General of Police's Insignia for his contribution in the investigation of 1993 Mumbai blast, Patnaik distinguished himself by his effective handling of the Mumbai riots in his jurisdiction in 1992-93.
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