Punjab Police now gets a full time DGP in Viresh Kumar Bhawra, will supervise the high profile security breach probe

New Delhi, January 8

After three Director Generals of Police were appointed as Police Chief of Punjab in a row, the Punjab Police now has a new and fulltime DGP in V K Bhawra, the third DGP of Punjab in a span of three months. Though the appointment of the new DGP is around the security breach incident, the appointment of Bhawra was in the discussions with the Centre since one week following incumbent Siddharth Chattopadhyay's appointment not following with the rules of the UPSC. 

The Punjab government passed the order of the new DGP on January 8. 

The 1987-batch IPS officer, Viresh Kumar Bhawra has been appointed for a minimum period of two years from the date of assumption of office.

The order stated, "Union Public Service Commission [UPSC], New Delhi, has sent minutes of meeting of the Empanelment Committee. The Committee has recommended a panel consisting of the names of the following officers as suitable for appointment to the post of DGP [HoPF], Punjab -- Dinkar Gupta, Viresh Kumar Bhawra, Prabodh Kumar," the order read.

"On the consideration of the panel received from Union Public Service Commission, Governor of Punjab is pleased to appoint Viresh Kumar Bhawra, IPS, as Director General of Police, Punjab [Head of Police Force]. His term shall be for a minimum period of two years from the date of assumption of office in pursuance of the orders of Hon'ble Supreme Court of India dated 03.07.2018," it added.

In an order, the Punjab Governor said the empanelment committee recommended three officers for the top post: Viresh Kumar Bhawra, former state police chief Dinkar Gupta, and IPS officer Prabodh Kumar.

DGP Bhawra's appointment order was issued before the Model Code of Conduct was to come into effect with the Election Commission's announcement of poll schedule in five states of Goa, Punjab, Manipur, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

The recent security breach of the PM Narendra Modi’s event in Ferozpur had raised questions on the Punjab Police and Punjab Government with MHA issuing a notice to initiate an inquiry into the incident. While the Punjab Government started an inquiry into the Punjab Police lodged an FIR in the incident. 

For DGP Bhawra, the security breach investigation is the first high profile assignment to be completed as soon as has taken up the charge. 

DGP Bhawra said, “My priority would be to conduct free and fair elections in the state. My prime focus would be on eradicating drug menace. People-centric policing and public service delivery will be Punjab Police’s top priorities”. 

Bhawra conceptualized the creation of the Bureau of Investigation and was posted as its first director. He had served as the state intelligence chief when Captain Amarinder Singh was the chief minister of Punjab.

DGP Bhawra is also a recipient of Distinguished Service medals. 

Though the appointment of the new DGP is around the security breach incident, the appointment of Bhawra was in the discussions with the Centre since one week. 

More than just the incident of security breach, the disapproval of the UPSC to accept Chattopdhyay’s candidature for the post as per the civil services rules.  A candidate for the position should have six months remaining on their service period, as per the norm and Chattopadhyaya will retire on March 31, 2022. 

It is interesting to note, the debate on the DGP Punjab has been on since months with three officers taking over as DGP when Dinkar Gupta moved to Police Housing Corporation after the new Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi took over. Gupta served as the DGP for who served for two years and seven months when Captain Amrinder Singh was the CM of Punjab. 

The Punjab Government in September had appointed Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota as the new DGP of Punjab as an additional charge. However, Sahota's appointment had led to differences among the ministers in the present regime of Punjab.

The camp led by Punjab Congress chief Navjot Sidhu was reportedly against Sahota's appointment as DGP. Following Sidhu’s pressure, the government, led by Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, sent the panel of 10 officers to the UPSC on September 30, ensuring Chattopadhyaya remained on that list.

As per the UPSC rules, a candidate for the position should have six months remaining on their service period, as per the norm. Chattopadhyaya will retire on March 31, 2022.

An alleged "information leak" on a drug case from the police headquarters was also being stated as one of the reasons behind Sahota's removal.

Sahota was removed from the post of DGP on December 18 in a surprise move by CM Charanjit Singh Channi and home minister Sukhjinder Randhawa.

Soon after taking over as the DGP, Chattopadhyay and tightened the noose on Bikram Singh Majithia and he was booked in a NDPS Act case. Following the FIR on Majithia, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has issued a lookout notice against Majithia on December 23. 

It was officer Chattopadhyaya who was a supervisory officer to investigate the property details of Akali Dal leader and former Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal and his family members in 2003 corruption and disproportionate assets case registered by then CM Captain Amarinder Singh. 

Badals were acquitted by a Mohali court in 2010 due to lack of evidence, when the SAD-led government was in power.

In 2014, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had quashed strictures passed against Chattopadhyaya by the Mohali court which acquitted the Badals and others while noting that witnesses turning hostile in a case is no ground for perjury proceedings against officers.

In another key case related to drugs, Chattopadhyaya had headed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed in December 2017 on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to look into the allegations of police officer SSP Raj Jit Singh’s (then Moga SSP) alleged complicity with Inspector Inderjit Singh.

Chattopadhyay's investigation report is believed to be a in a sealed cover in the court.

The Punjab Government also reshuffled few officers in a separate order. Apart from shifting Ferozepur SSP, the government posted Dr Nanak Singh as SSP, Gurdaspur, and Alka Meena SSP, Barnala. Narinder Bhargav is the new SSP Freozpur as Harmandeep Singh has been moved to Ludhiana as Commandant 3rd IRB. AK Mittal has been posted as IGP Roopnagar whicl Sukhchain Singh has been posted as Commissioner of Amritsar. 

Two Punjab Police Services officers- Harkamlpreet Singh Khakh and Kuljit Singh have been given additional and new posts.