On-leave Haryana DGP Shatrujeet Kapur shifted, OP Singh to officiate

Two months after Director General of Police Shatrujeet Singh Kapur, a 1990-batch IPS officer, was “sent on leave”, and a day before he was due to rejoin, the Haryana Government on Sunday issued his transfer orders, replacing him with 1992-batch IPS officer OP Singh, who has been posted as the “officiating” DGP, Haryana Police, until further orders.

Kapur, who was asked to proceed on leave following the suicide of 2001-batch IPS officer Y Puran Kumar, was scheduled to rejoin on Monday.

However, late on Sunday evening, the government issued two transfer and posting orders appointing Singh as officiating DGP until further orders. Singh will continue to hold additional charge as Director General of the Haryana State Narcotics Control Bureau (HSNCB). He had been given additional charge of DGP after Kapur was sent on leave. Singh is due to retire on December 31.

Kapur has now been given the charge of Chairman of the Haryana Police Housing Corporation.

Kapur’s transfer assumes significance as it creates a vacancy in the top post of the Haryana Police, necessitating a fresh appointment.

Earlier this month, the Haryana Government had sent a panel of officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the selection of a new DGP. However, the UPSC returned the panel, stating that there was no vacancy for the post as Kapur was only on leave.

With Kapur’s transfer, the government can now forward a fresh panel of eligible officers to the UPSC, which will recommend three names. The government will then select one of them for appointment as DGP.

On October 7, 2001-batch IPS officer Y Puran Kumar died by suicide at his Sector 11 residence. In his suicide note, he named Kapur along with 14 other serving and retired IAS and IPS officers. Kumar’s family had insisted on Kapur’s removal as DGP, among other demands, as a condition for the cremation. On October 14, the government asked Kapur to proceed on leave and gave additional charge of DGP to Singh.