SPG Chief Arun Kumar Sinha passes away at 61 in Gurgaon Hospital

Arun Kumar Sinha, the director of the Special Protection Group (SPG) passed away unexpectedly in the early hours of Wednesday (September 6). 

The 61-year-old leader, responsible for overseeing the security of high-profile dignitaries, breathed his last at Gurgaon's renowned Medanta Hospital.

According to a senior official, Sinha has been experiencing health issues for a while and is receiving treatment at the Medanta Cancer Institute. The person said, "Other senior government officials and his batchmates have been informed about his death." His family members are there at the hospital.

When the Centre invited Sinha, an IPS officer from the Kerala cadre who graduated in 1987, to lead the SPG, which is in charge of overseeing the Prime Minister's security, in 2016, he was serving as the state's additional director general of police (Special Service and Traffic). SPG had been without a full-time chief for around 15 months prior to his arrival.

The request for Sinha's re-employment for one year was accepted by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), which is chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a day before Sinha announced his retirement on May 30 of this year. The ACC approved an extension of Sinha's interim upgradation to DG (SPG) status in 2022, valid through May 31, 2023.

According to an official, Sinha, who previously served for the Border Security Force (BSF), spent the most of his career in Kerala and was in charge of NRI matters as well as the safety of women.