Mass transfers in Police Dept routine affair: DIG

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, June 19

Day after the Punjab Government shifted 10,000 police personnel from the rank of constables and onwards thereby giving a rise to speculations that it was done to “punish” cops following the disappointing performance of the AAP government in the recently held Lok Sabha elections, the DIG, Amritsar Border Range, today clarified and termed it as a routine affair.

“A different picture is being painted among the general public about the recent transfers which is also impacting the police force. I want to clarify that these transfers are only routine affair and as per the policy framed by the Punjab Police which is duly approved by the Punjab Government,” said DIG Rakesh Kaushal during a media interaction here on Wednesday.

“I want to dispel this impression and this has the approval of my seniors. I am speaking on behalf of my colleagues and senior officials,” said Kaushal.

He said as per the policy any inspector or sub-inspector cannot stay at a police station as the SHO for more than three years and he had to be shifted once to other place. Similarly, an ASI to inspector level police personnel cannot stay in a district for more than eight years, the DIG said. He said every force, including Army or paramilitary, makes certain changes with time for betterment of the organisation.

In the border range, the Punjab Police shifted 1,500 cops from constable to inspector rank – maximum in Pathankot (579) followed by Batala (375), Amritsar Rural (256) and Gurdaspur (161). Out of these police personnel, 32 were shifted out of the district, but within the range while 87 were shifted from out of the border range, the DIG said.

Yesterday, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had said these transfers would break the police and drug peddler nexus. Mann said during his campaigns, he got numerous complaints of cops being in cahoots with drug peddlers.