Mahesh Chandra Ladha Appointed as Andhra Pradesh Intelligence Chief

IPS officer Mahesh Chandra Ladha has been appointed as the Chief of Andhra Pradesh Intelligence. Ladha, a 1998 batch officer, reported to the AP government on Tuesday after completing his deputation in central services. Following this, Chief Secretary Neerab Kumar Prasad issued orders appointing him as the head of the intelligence department.

Previously, IPS Mahesh Chandra Ladha served as the SP in the districts of Guntur, Prakasam, and Nizamabad. He also held the position of DCP in Hyderabad East Zone and worked as SP and DIG for the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for nearly five years. Ladha's other notable roles include Joint Police Commissioner of Vijayawada city, Police Commissioner of Visakhapatnam city, and IG in the Intelligence Department. Between 2019 and 2020, he served as IG for the AP Police Personnel Department before going on deputation to central services, where he worked as IG for the CRPF for four years. He has now returned to AP.


During his tenure as SP of Prakasam district, Ladha's vehicle was attacked by Maoists using a claymore mine. The vehicle was bulletproof, which allowed Ladha, his two gunmen, and the driver to survive. Unfortunately, two civilians were killed in this incident, which caused a nationwide stir at the time.