Former Governor of Manipur Ashwani Kumar found hanging

Former Governor of Manipur and Nagaland Ashwani Kumar was on Wednesday found hanging at his residence in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.

Kumar was in service in both the central government and the Himachal Pradesh state government for more than 37 years.

Ashwani Kumar was born on November 15, 1950, and hails from Nahan, Sirmour district of Himachal Pradesh. He completed his initial education at the Government Primary School in the Kothi village located in the tribal district of Kinnaur.

Thereafter, he studied at Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun and graduated from Government College, Nahan, Himachal Pradesh in 1971.

After joining the Indian Police Service in 1973, Kumar served in various prominent positions such as Assistant Superintendent of Police, SP, member of the Special Protection Group responsible for the security of the Prime Minister and the Director-General of Police.

Kumar was awarded the Indian Police Medal for Meritorious Services in 1989 and also the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Services in 1999.

Functioning as the CBI Director from July 2008 to November 2010, he was credited for solving a number of high-profile cases.

Kumar (62) took over as the 17th Governor of Nagaland on 21 March 2013 and as the Governor of Manipur on 29 July 2013.

He also held top posts in the elite Special Protection Group. He was also part of the security cover for former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.