Kathmandu, November 4: Nepal's Cabinet on Wednesday removed Dan Bahadur Karki as Inspector General of Police (IGP) and appointed Additional Inspector General Dr Manoj Kumar KC as the new chief of Nepal Police, effective November 4, under Rule 41 of the Police Regulations, 2014, KathmanduPati and CollegeNP reported.

Source: KathmanduPati

Karki has been moved to a newly created post of Special Security Adviser to the Prime Minister at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. Government spokesperson and Education Minister Sasmita Pokhrel said the post was created to provide security-related advice and consultations to the Prime Minister, and the government said the leadership change was aimed at strengthening the country's law and security arrangements. Other reports quoted the spokesperson as saying Karki had not been punished and that the move was a change of responsibilities.

Source: CollegeNP

33rdKarki's position in the line of Nepal Police chiefs — appointed on November 10, 2025
Nov 4, 2026Date KC's appointment as IGP takes effect
Rule 41Police Regulations, 2014 provision under which KC was promoted to IGP

Karki was appointed Nepal Police's 33rd chief on November 10, 2025 and assumed office three days later; he has now been removed before completing a year in the post. He joined Nepal Police as an inspector on April 1, 1998, was promoted to Additional Inspector General in April 2025, and, had the 30-year service provision remained applicable, could have continued as police chief until March 2028.

KC belongs to the same batch as Karki — both joined the service as inspectors — and was promoted to Additional Inspector General in Baisakh 2082 BS. He was appointed chief of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in Asoj 2082 BS and most recently led the Crime Investigation Department at Nepal Police headquarters. He came to national attention for his work on the fake Bhutanese refugee scam investigation while heading the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office, an inquiry that led to high-profile arrests. KC holds a PhD in Conflict Transformation from Pannasastra University of Cambodia, has spent about 28 years in police service and has served in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and Haiti.

The change has drawn political criticism. Rastriya Prajatantra Party lawmaker Gyanendra Shahi called Karki's removal an extreme abuse of state power, and Nepali media reports said Karki intends to challenge the Cabinet's decision in court. The government's decision remains in force and KC has taken charge as the new police chief.