14 POLICE DISTS IN PUNJAB GET NEW SSPs

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab government on Wednesday transferred SSPs of 14 police districts.

As per government orders, the districts which got new police chiefs include Jalandhar Rural, Patiala, Bathinda, Ludhiana Rural, Ropar, Fazilka, Farikdot, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Sangrur, Khanna, Batala, Kapurthala, Muktsar and Mansa. This is the second major reshuffle in the police department in the past one week. On July 7, the government had reshuffled 130 officials of DSP rank.

Even as the SSP reshuffle was on the cards from past more than three months and was repeatedly put off on one pretext or the other, the latest list is clear indication that the government has decided to bank upon IPS officers instead of their PPS counterparts who are “considered favourites of politicians” for the post of SSPs.

The chief minister’s home district, however, will have a PPS officer Mandeep Singh Sidhu as the new SSP.

CHANDIGARH:In a major reshuffle, the Punjab government on Wednesday transferred 18 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers and 12 from Punjab Police Service (PPS). Fourteen districts got new senior superintendents of police (SSPs).

In the shake-up effected apparently in the wake of the drug menace in the state, three officers from the Special Protection Unit (SPU) guarding the chief minister (Dhruv Dahiya, Gulneet Khurana and Mandhir Singh) also were among the fresh list of SSPs.

A surprise was transfer of Jalandhar Rural SSP Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, who has now been posted as additional inspector general (AIG) for counter-intelligence. Bhullar, seen as a favourite in the SADBJP regime as well as the current Congress government, served as SSP for 12 years. Though the exact reason of his transfer was not known, a senior government functionary said that “mishandling” of the issue of since-suspended SHO Parminder Singh Bajwa during the Shahkot bypoll in May is one of the factors.

SHO Bajwa had registered an FIR of illegal mining against the Congress candidate who eventually; the FIR embarrassed the government as he also made remarks against chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh. Bajwa had been posted as of SHO Mehatpur in the segment after his name was sent in a panel by the office of Jalandhar Rural SSP to the Election Commission of India (ECI) for posting.

However, a senior official close to Bhullar claimed that he is due to be promoted to DIG in a few days and “will make a strong comeback”.

Khanna SSP Navjot Singh Mahal (PPS), who is related to rural development minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, has been posted as the new SSP for Jalandhar Rural. Dhruv Dahiya (IPS) who was in the unit guarding the CM, will be the new SSP for Khanna. Dahiya was in the limelight in Ludhiana during the previous SAD-BJP regime after issuing a challan to a vehicle of a Punjab and Haryana high court judge.

PPS officer Varinder Singh Brar will be new SSP for Ludhiana Rural, replacing Surjit Singh, who has now been posted as AIG, crime.

The government also transferred Sangrur SSP Mandeep Singh Sidhu (PPS) to Patiala, the home town of the CM; replacing S Boopathi, who will now be AIG, vigilance bureau. IPS officer Sandeep Garg will be new SSP of Sangrur.

PPS officer Swarandeep Singh will be the SSP at Batala now, replacing Opinder Singh Ghuman, who has been posted as commandant, 27th battalion, Punjab Armed Police (PAP).

Faridkot SSP Nanak Singh (IPS) will be new Bathinda SSP, replacing Naveen Singla, who has now been posted as AIG, SB-1. Singla replaces Deepak Hilori, who will be SSP of Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar (Nawanshahr), from where Satinder Singh has been sent to Kapurthala as SSP. Satinder replaced Sandeep Sharma, who will now be AIG, personnel-3.

IPS officer Swapan Sharma will be new SSP of Rupnagar, replacing Raj Bachan Singh Sandhu (PPS), who has got the post in Faridkot.

Gulneet Khurana (IPS) has been posted as SSP of Fazilka, replacing Patil Ketan Baliram, who will now be commandant, 5th battalion, at Amritsar.

Mandhir Singh (PPS) has been posted as SSP of Mansa, replacing Parambir Singh, who becomes commandant of 9th battalion, PAP, Amritsar. Manjit Singh Dhesi (PPS) will be new SSP of Muktsar. Jaskaran Singh has been posted as IG, PAP.

A SURPRISE WAS JALANDHAR RURAL SSP GURPREET BHULLAR’S TRANSFER, WHO HAS BEEN POSTED AS AIG, COUNTERINTELLIGENCE