All you need to know about ex-CBI chief Ashwani Kumar

SHIMLA: The death of Ashwani Kumar, ex-director of the CBI, DGP of Himachal Pradesh and former governor of Manipur and Nagaland has left people across India shell shocked especially the police officers who saw him as an inspiration.
He was found hanging from the attic of his Shimla residence on Wednesday.
Cops found a suicide note in which he purportedly wrote he was suffering from disease and disability.The note ended with, “I am ending my life. Everyone be happy. My soul embarking on a new journey.” Kumar is survived by his wife and son.
Ashwani Kumar was born on November 15, 1950 in Nahan sub division of Sirmaur district in Himachal Pradesh. His initial schooling was in the remote tribal district of Kinnaur where he initially studied at government primary school Kothi near Rekong Peo. Later he studied at Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun and then at government college, Bilaspur and then graduated from Government College, Nahan in 1971.
When he joined the Indian Police Service in 1973, he was allotted the Himachal Pradesh cadre. Initially he served as assistant superintendent of police in Mandi and Kangra districts from 1975 to 1977. Then he served as superintendent of police in the districts of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Solan and Shimla.
During his posting as superintendent of police of Shimla in 1985, he was selected for induction in the newly-created Special Protection Group (SPG) responsible for the security of the prime minister of India. He worked in the SPG from 1985 to 1990 in various capacities including that of assistant director in the Prime Minister’s Office.
He had also worked in close collaboration with Interpol for several years. During his service, he had earned the appreciation from the Prime Minister of India and the Union home minister. He was awarded the Indian Police Medal for meritorious services in 1989 and also the President’s Police Medal for distinguished services in 1999.
In August 2006, he took over as the Director General of Police (DGP), Himachal Pradesh. While serving as the DGP, he strived to streamline the functioning of the police administration in the state. He brought about systemic changes in the department to instill professionalism and serve the common people in a better manner. He is credited with the introduction of 'community policing' at the grass root level.
Realizing the importance of IT and computerization, he introduced computers at the police station level in Himachal Police as well as the lodging of public complaints online.
In July 2008, after serving as DGP (Himachal Pradesh) for two years, he was appointed by the Government of India as director CBI. He was the first police officer from Himachal Pradesh to head the CBI. He served as director CBI for more than two years and retired in November 2010. He was sworn-in as the governor of Nagaland on March 21, 2013 and as governor of Manipur on July 29, 2013.
As Ashwani Kumar has served in the police department of Himachal for 37 years he had massive fan following and majority used to see him as in inspiration.
Power minister Sukhram Chaudhary said that Ashwani Kumar belonged to his Paonta Sahib assembly constituency and he was an honest and dedicated officer. “His death is great loss to the state. He had a clean image,” he said.
Himachal Pradesh DGP Sanjay Kundu said that IPS officers who use to see him as an inspiration from Ashwani Kumar. "In his suicide note he has not blamed anyone and has written that due to disease and disability he is ending his life and embarking on new life and has asked his son to be happy,” he added.
Former DGP, Himachal Pradesh, ID Bhandari said that when he joined as probationer IPS officer in Shimla district the same day Ashwani Kumar had joined as superintendent of police Shimla. “I was trained by him. He was simple, hard working sincere but very hard task master. He ironed out some of my angularities and contributed in chiseling out whatever I became as a police officer,” he said, adding that why Ashwani Kumar took the extreme step is baffling as he always thought that he was made of much sterner stuff.