SSPs asked to shed ‘baggage SHOs’

Aman Sood                                                                                                   

Tribune News Service 

Patiala, February 5

Three years after Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal warned senior IPS and Punjab Police Service (PPS) officers against “tagging along sub-inspector and inspector-level officers” when transferred to another district, the practice had gone unchecked until now. 

 Director General of Police Suresh Arora has now transferred 19 such officers back to their posts in Ludhiana, Patiala, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Mohali, Batala, Ferozepur and Moga. Most of them were posted as SHOs at the instance of the local SSP/commissioner. 

At least six officers have been told that “the officials may be relieved immediately and their relieving/joining dates intimated to the office”.  Among others, Jagbir Singh, Dalbir Singh and Harwinder Singh have been shifted from Sangrur to Patiala, Avtar Singh and Hari Chand from Ferozepur to Patiala and Palwinder Singh from Ferozepur to Fatehgarh Sahib. 

The orders also mention the names of Inspectors Samarvaneet, Mahesh Kumar, Gurcharan Singh and Gurdial Singh. They have been shifted from Ropar to the Bathinda range. “Those who came along with the SSPs were given plum posts and preferential treatment. This was spreading disquiet,” said an officer. 

Stressing that he would not tolerate any kind of indiscipline, the DGP said all such officers have been shifted back.