G. C. Murmu


Girish Chandra Murmu is the first lieutenant governor of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He was a 1985 batch Indian Administrative Service officer of Gujarat cadre and was principal secretary to Narendra Modi during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Early life and education

G.C. Murmu was born on 21 November 1959 in Betnoti village of Mayurbhanj district in Odisha in a Santal family. He holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from Utkal University. He also holds an MBA degree from University of Birmingham. He is the eldest among eight siblings, eight brothers and two sisters.One of his brothers is currently working in a senior position at RBI.

Career under Narendra Modi

In 2001, when Narendra Modi became chief minister of Gujarat, Murmu was the Relief Commissioner. Shortly afterwards he became Commissioner, Mines and Minerals and thereafter Managing Director, Gujarat Maritime Board.

Home department Gujarat

Murmu's career took off in 2004 when he was made joint secretary of Home Department, which was headed by Amit Shah and directly supervised by Modi.
He was given the task of handling the 2002 Gujarat riots cases. when Amit Shah was in jail, Murmu prepared his case papers and did all the groundwork for his bail.

Controversies

RB Sreekumar, a 1971-cadre Gujarat cadre IPS officer, has alleged that Murmu was deputed to "tutor" the witnesses who deposed before Nanavati Commission in 2004. This was done to give a clean chit to Narendra Modi, whose name came up during investigations into the 2002 riots and Ishrat Jahan Encounter case. During 2013 CBI investigations, Murmu allegedly influenced police officials investigating Ishrat Jahan Encounter and tried to derail the investigation.

As Lieutenant Governor of J&K

On 31 October 2019 G. C. Murmu took charge as the 1st Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir after the formation of the new Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, 2019. He will preside over the last Governor of Jammu and Kashmir , Satya Pal Malik.