After cracking the whip against senior police officials reported to be close to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, the Election Commission on Thursday ordered appointment of K R Kaushik as the new state police chief.

The EC had on Monday ordered transfer of Director General of Police P C Pande and seven other senior officials ahead of assembly elections in December.

Pande was Ahmedabad Police Commissioner during the 2002 post-Godhra riots in the state and had come under a cloud over the communal violence.

The 1970-batch IPS was shifted out of the state some months later on deputation to the Centre where he served with the CBI. However, Modi brought him back two years ago as the DGP.