Viresh Kumar Bhawra assumed charge as Director General of Police Punjab on Saturday. (Express Photo) HOURS ahead of the announcement of poll schedule for the Assembly elections, bringing the code of conduct into place, the Punjab government appointed 1987-batch IPS officer Viresh Kumar Bhawra as the state Director General of Police.
He replaces 1987-batch Siddharth Chattopadhyaya who was serving as the officiating DGP.
The Indian Express had earlier reported that Bhawra was likely to be new DGP among the panel of three names shared by the Charanjit Singh Channi government. Of the other two, Dinkar Gupta had been removed as DGP by Channi in September last year, and Prabodh Kumar had sought Central deputation.
The Punjab government also announced transfer of seven IPS officers, including Senior Superintendent of Police, Ferozepur. IPS officer Harmandeep Singh Hans, SSP Ferozepur, has been posted as Commandant 3rd IRB, Ludhiana. Narinder Bhargav will be the new SSP Ferozepur. Hans was Ferozepur SSP during the Wednesday “security lapse” in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s convoy was stranded on a flyover.
Hans along with several senior police and civil officials had appeared on Friday in Ferozepur before a three-member panel formed by the Union Home Ministry to inquire into the “serious lapses” in Modi’s security. Bharatiya Kisan Union (Krantikari) chief Surjeet Singh Phul, whose union had blocked the road in Ferozepur, said the SSP Ferozepur had informed them Modi was coming by road but “we thought it was a bluff to get the road vacated”.
The other police officers transferred are Naunihal Singh, appointed as Commissioner of Police, Jalandhar, A K Mittal, posted as IGP, Roopnagar, and Sukhchain Singh, posted as Amritsar Commissioner. Nanak Singh has been appointed as SSP Gurdaspur and Alka Meena will be SSP Barnala. Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh and Kuljit Singh have been given new additional and new posting orders.
Chattopadhyaya had been brought in as the DGP at the insistence of Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu. With him mounting pressure on his party’s government to regularise Chattopadhyaya, he was included in the list of 10 officers sent by the state to the UPSC on September 30 for appointment to the post. Norms mandate that any officer considered for the post should have at least six months of service left. Chattopadhyaya made it by a whisker as he retires on March 31, 2022.
However, a fresh list was sent after the UPSC sought clarification on the cut-off date to consider the earlier names – citing that as Dinkar Gupta had relinquished charge on October 5, that would be considered as the cut-off date. This ruled Chattopadhyaya and Rohit Choudhary, who also retires on March 31, out.
The DGP’s post has been caught up in the Congress internal friction in the state. After Channi took charge in September 2021 from Amarinder Singh, Dinkar Gupta proceeded on leave (he was subsequently appointed head of Punjab Police Housing Corporation and relinquished charge on October 5). After this, Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was appointed officiating DGP.
On the intervening night of December 16 and 17, Chattopadhyaya was appointed officiating DGP, four days ahead of a scheduled UPSC meeting.
An engineering graduate from Rajasthan, Bhawra has served in Assam, the Intelligence Bureau, the government of India in different capacities, and in Punjab as SSP, Mansa, DIG, Patiala Range, IGP, Bathinda, and as DGP/ ADGP, Intelligence. His profile says he is a recipient of police medal for meritorious service and President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
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