Chandigarh SSP Kuldeep Chahal relieved; to join new assignment with Punjab govt

Chandigarh, December 12

The UT Administration on Monday relieved SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal from his duties nearly a year before his three-year deputation was to end.

Immediately after relieving Chahal, the charge of SSP (law & order) was given to SSP Traffic Manisha Chaudhary, a 2011 batch IPS officer of Haryana cadre, in addition to her own duties.

This is probably for the first time the Chandigarh SSP has been relieved before completion of the deputation period.

The order issued by Chandigarh Administration’s Home Department reads, “The Administrator UT, is pleased to relieve Kuldeep Singh Chahal, SSP UT, from the Chandigarh Administration/Police with immediate effect to enable him to join new assignment with Government of Punjab.”

The decision to relieve the SSP has left everyone surprised in the police department. While all the officials were right lipped over this development, sources in the department claimed that differences between Chahal and senior officers led to the move.

A 2009 batch IPS officer of Punjab cadre, Chahal had taken over the charge as SSP, UT (law & order), in October 2020.

Chahal was posted as SSP after the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had turned down then UT Administrator V P Singh Badnore’s recommendation of 2011 batch IPS Vivek Sheel Soni for the post.

Before being selected for IPS, Chahal who hails from Haryana was an Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) in Chandigarh Police, when he cracked the civil services examination.