Four officers promoted to DGP rank, six SSPs shifted

CHANDIGARH: Six senior superintendents of police (SSPs) got transfer orders, and four officers holding the rank of additional director general of police (ADGP) were promoted as DGPs, in a major reshuffle in the Punjab police on Friday.

The new DGPs are Dinkar Gupta of intelligence wing; CSR Reddy, managing director of Punjab Police Housing Corporation; VK Bhawra from provisioning and modernisation; and MK Tiwari. They will continue to carry out their current assignments.

In the shuffling of SSPs, the Congress government’s tall claims of depoliticising the force have been laid bare. J Elenchezian has been shifted from Amritsar (rural) to Hoshiarpur as Congress leaders wanted him out of the Majha region. The Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was purportedly not allowed to rejoin after his 10-day leave had ended, and has now been replaced, formally, by Parampal Singh Gandhi.

It was reported by HT on June 28 how Parampal, who was assistant inspector general (AIG) in the Bureau of Investigation at Chandigarh, continued to hold charge as Amritsar (rural) SSP despite Elenchezian’s availability.

Among other SSPs, Harcharan Singh Bhullar has been shifted out of Hoshiarpur and will now be AIG (crime) in the Bureau of Investigation at Chandigarh. Opinderjit Singh Ghuman will be new SSP of Batala in place of Deepak Hilori, who has been posted in the intelligence wing.

Darshan Singh Maan has been made Tarn Taran SSP, replacing Harjeet Singh, who will now hold the post in Barnala. Harjeet will replace Baljot Singh Rathore, who will now be DIG, Government Railway Police, Patiala.

Jagadale Nilambari will leave the post of SSP at Rupnagar and now be commandant-cum-deputy director at Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy at Phillaur. Raj Bachan Singh Sandhu, who was posted as aide-decamp (ADC) to the governor, will replace her at Rupnagar.

Also, ADGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu — chief of a special task force (STF) formed by chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh to fight the drug menace — has been given more powers. Inspectors general of police (IGPs) of border zones Amritsar and Bathinda will report to Sidhu now. Sources said the CM took this decision as these ranges are among the worst-hit in terms of drug supply from across the border with Pakistan, and direct reports from the ground staff to Sidhu can possibly lead to more results.

Sidhu, as ADGP (border), will report to the state DGP. As ADGP (STF), he will report to the chief minister’s office.

SSP ELENCHEZIAN TRANSFERRED OUT OF AMRITSAR AS MAJHA CONGRESS PRESSURE WORKS; MORE POWERS TO ANTIDRUG STF CHIEF