Days after SC notice over temporary police chief, Punjab govt says will take legal opinion after getting order copy

This is not for the archetypal clip that the contented of DGP Gaurav Yadav acting arsenic DGP of the authorities has travel into focus. Yadav was appointed officiating DGP connected July 5, 2022, 4 months aft the AAP authorities had taken implicit the reins of the state. According to the norms, the authorities tin station an officiating DGP for a maximum play of six months. However, Yadav has completed 2 years and 3 months successful the office.

The Centre had questioned the authorities authorities successful March 2023 arsenic to wherefore it was not sending a sheet of eligible officers for assignment of a regular DGP. The missive was written by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs. The Punjab authorities did not respond to the letter. Ever since, the contented has been lying closed.

The contented assumes centrestage arsenic the Supreme Court has laid down the norms for the enactment of DGPs. A authorities has to nonstop a sheet of 8 elder officers to the UPSC, pursuing which the cardinal authorities chooses 3 officers. The authorities past appoints 1 of them arsenic its DGP.

Yadav was not among the apical 3 senior-most IPS officers. He had superseded astatine slightest six officers then. In July 2022, 1987-batch IPS serviceman and erstwhile authorities constabulary main Dinkar Gupta was manager wide of the nationalist probe bureau (NIA). He retired connected March 31 this year. Former DGP VK Bhawra (1988-batch), who proceeded connected permission then, retired successful May this year. 1988-batch serviceman Prabodh Kumar is Special DGP, Punjab Human Rights Commission, and different of his batch and erstwhile officiating authorities constabulary caput Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota, was peculiar DGP, Armed Police Jalandhar, astatine that clip and retired successful August 2022. 1989-batch Sanjeev Kalra is Special DGP, Home Guards and different 1989-batch serviceman Parag Jain is connected cardinal deputation successful Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

Yadav has 3 batchmates successful Punjab – Sharad Satya Chauhan, Harpreet Singh Sidhu and Kuldeep Singh. Sharad Satya Chauhan and Harpreet Singh are his seniors successful the gradation list. Chauhan is Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Punjab Police Housing Corporation, portion Kuldeep Singh is Special DGP-STF. Sidhu is connected cardinal deputation, posted arsenic further DG with the ITBP.

Yadav was archetypal appointed acting DGP aft the past DGP, 1987-batch serviceman VK Bhawra, was asked to proceed connected leave. However, adjacent aft Bhawra’s instrumentality from leave, Yadav has been allowed to proceed arsenic acting DGP till date.

Bhawra was appointed arsenic regular DGP for a play of 2 years successful January 2022, earlier the announcement of 16th Punjab Assembly General Election Schedule. His assignment was made by past Chief Minister Charanjit Channi aft pursuing compliance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines. He was appointed aft the UPSC sent a sheet to the Punjab government. The sheet included Dinkar Gupta and Prabodh Kumar.