B Shivadhar Reddy today took charge as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Telangana, becoming the State's sixth DGP.
He succeeds Dr Jitender, who held the position for 15 months.
Reddy formally assumed office at the DGP headquarters in Lakdi-ka-Pul, Hyderabad, at 9:44 am, after special ceremonies.
Speaking to the media after taking charge, Reddy addressed the issue of Maoists and reiterated his commitment to support those who wished to reintegrate into society. He said that a recent letter from a Maoist politburo member suggested their willingness to abandon armed conflict.
"The situations in Russia and China are not very different from that in India. The Maoists have followed a certain ideology for a long time, but they now seem to have realised the ground realities, which has led to a cessation of their struggle," he said.
Reddy also spoke about the responsible use of social media. He warned the public that strict action would be taken against those spreading misinformation or defamatory content. "Some may speak of the Red Book or the Pink Book, but our primary focus is the Khaki Book - the police manual," he said.
"If everyone expresses their opinions responsibly and within legal limits, there will be no issues," he added.
Later, the DGP visited Raj Bhavan to call on Governor Jishnu Dev Verma, accompanied by Hyderabad Commissioner of Police V C Sajjanar and Intelligence DG Vijay Kumar.
The Governor is said to have reviewed the State's law and order situation during the meeting.