Punjab DGP VK Bhawra goes on two months leave, IPS Gaurav Yadav is the new DGP of Punjab

New Delhi, July 6

The Punjab Government appointed a IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the officiating DGP of Punjab as present DGP VK Bhawra has gone a two months leave. 

It is being alleged that the recent back to back incidents of law and order in Punjab, RPG blast in Mohali, murder of Punjab singer Sidhu Moosewala, increasing incidents of law and order disturbances have allegedly forced Bhawra to proceed on leave. 

A 1992-batch IPS officer, DGP Gaurav Yadav took charge on July 6 at the Police Headquarters in Chandigarh. Ya dav has served as the special Principal Secretary to DGP Punjab.

As soon as Yadav assumed the charge, he went to the Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) staff office in Mohali where he interrogated gangster Lawrence Bishnoi in connection with brutal murder of Punjab singer Sidhu Moosewala.

The Punjab Police had brought Bishnoi on transit remand from Tihar Jail in Delhi. 

Yadav who also held a meeting with the top brass of the force, stressed on the need to revive basic policing while reiterating the state government’s commitment to eliminate gangster culture and control drug menace.

The DGP also conducted surprise checks at Mataur Police Station & Phase VIII Police Station of Mohali and inspected Malkhanas, barracks and canteens of police stations.

While the transfer orders of senior officials were issued by Home Secretary Anurag Verma, the office of the DGP also issued transfer orders of 334 Assistant Superintendents of Police and Deputy Superintendents of Police.

The DGP also directed all the commissioners of police and senior superintendents of police to increase the number of police check points in their respective jurisdictions and ensure the frisking of maximum vehicles at every ‘naka’ (check point), which will help in curtailing criminal activities. He advised that all the ‘nakas’ should be synchronized in a manner that they must get activated promptly on a single call. He also directed them to ramp up the drug recoveries.

Yadav also emphasized on the need for capacity building of the police stations by upgrading them and making them citizen-friendly besides acquiring new patrolling vehicles and hi-tech equipment for modernization.

The Punjab Government also reshuffled IGP rank officials- IG Jatinder Singh Aulakh has been appointed as new chief of Punjab Police intelligence wing, replacing 1988-batch IPS officer and Special DGP Prabodh Kumar, who has been transferred as Special DGP (Punjab State Human Rights Commission).

Sudhanshu S Srivastava (1994-batch), who was ADGP intelligence, has been posted as ADGP Security, replacing 1992-batch officer Sharad Satya Chauhan, who has been transferred as Chairman-cum-Managing Director, Punjab Police Housing Corporation (PPHC).

Sanjeev Kalra (1989), who was MD (PPHC), has been posted as Special DGP (Punjab Home Guards) while 1992-batch IPS officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who was serving as ADGP anti-drug Special Task Force in addition to ADGP (Prisons), has been posted as Special DGP in both positions.

Another 1992-batch officer Kuldeep Singh, who was ADGP Internal Vigilance Cell has been posted as DGP in same position.

Aulakh, who replaced Kumar, earlier served as IG (Headquarters), IG (Patiala and Ferozepur Ranges), Commissioner of Police (Amritsar and Ludhiana) before serving as SSP for nearly 10 years in various districts. Aulakh is due to retire in January next year. The transfer order of 1994-batch IPS officer P K Sinha, the ADGP rank officer who was the ADGP (Punjab State Human Rights Commission) against the post of DGP, would be issued separately, read the government order.