Lucknow: KL Gupta, a 1965-batch IPS officer and former director general of police (DGP) of Uttar Pradesh, passed away in Lucknow on Wednesday evening. He was 84. Known for his calm demeanour, sharp policing acumen, and impeccable service record, Gupta served as the state’s top cop from Apr 2, 1998, to Dec 23, 1999.During his tenure, the Special Task Force (STF) of UP Police was established in May 1998. A tech-savvy and forward-thinking officer, Gupta lent full support to its creation and oversaw the agency’s first major success — the elimination of notorious gangster Shri Prakash Shukla in Sept 1998.During his eventful career, Gupta held several key postings across the state, rising through the ranks from superintendent of police to the state’s police chief. He also served on central deputation as inspector general (IG) with the Border Security Force (BSF). His leadership was marked by operational excellence, administrative reforms, and unwavering professionalism during some of the state’s most challenging times.Additional DG (Meerut Zone) Bhanu Bhaskar recalled, “He (KL Gupta), along with Ajay Raj Sharma and Vikram Singh, played a pivotal role in forming the Special Operations Group (SOG), which later evolved into the STF. Beyond policing, he was a remarkable human being, an excellent lawn-tennis player, a lover of literature, and a strong advocate of education for the underprivileged.”CP Varanasi Zone Mohit Agarwal said, “He never lost his cool, no matter how grim the situation. He was the epitome of professionalism in policing.”Paying his tribute, former DGP OP Singh said: “I had the privilege of serving as SSP Lucknow during his tenure and shared a close professional and personal rapport with him. He was sharp, inquisitive, and always supportive of his officers. Even after retirement, he remained socially active and highly respected.”Retired DG Sanjay Tarade, who served as SSP Jhansi under Gupta, said, “He was extremely supportive of young officers. He remembered every detail and always stood by his team.” Gupta’s expertise was recognized nationally when the Supreme Court appointed him to a high-powered commission in 2020 to probe the controversial Vikas Dubey encounter. KL Gupta is survived by his wife, Veena Gupta, son Vishal, a commodore and instructor at the Defence Staff College, Wellington, Tamil Nadu, and daughter Charu, a corporate executive based in New York, USA. Two of his close relatives, Mohit Agarwal and Abhinav Kumar, are also IPS officers. Mohit is CP Varanasi while Abhinav is DG prisons in Uttarakhand.
