'Rotten apples' to be weeded out, says new Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal on corruption

The 1992-batch IPS officer Ajay Singhal took charge on Thursday as the 42nd Director General of Police (DGP), Head of Police Force (HoPF) of Haryana. His father, Om Prakash Singhal, was present as he sat in the DGP’s chair.

His predecessor, OP Singh, handed over the baton to him.

Thanking Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini for selecting him, Singhal said, “I will do my best to follow his directions and meet the expectations of the people of the state.”

Sharing his thoughts on policing, which he said have changed five times since 1992 when he joined the service. “First came the Internet, and then mobile phones. The criminals got smarter, and so did policing. Then smartphones arrived, followed by apps (software applications). Now, Artificial Intelligence is the challenge. We have faced terrorism, crime control, and law and order situations, and the Haryana Police have always been successful.”

Corruption

A day earlier, on December 31, 2025, the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau (SV&ACB), issued a press statement saying it had taken the most action against the police department's personnel in 2025.

In 2025, 44 police personnel were taken to task for corruption, followed by 24 from the revenue department and seven from the Urban Local Bodies Department. When questioned, Singhal replied, “We are alert; that is why police personnel are being caught. Corruption exists in other departments as well, but we have more public-facing interactions. The rotten apples will be weeded out. The strict action will be taken as per the law.”

Shortage

Against a sanctioned strength of 79,063, the Haryana Police is short of 23,189 personnel-29.3 percent. There is a 50.5 per cent vacancy in Head Constables and 27.3 per cent in Constables. Addressing the issue, Singhal said, “We are recruiting over 5,000 personnel, out of that 1,500 will be women. The rest we recruit in phases. You can’t recruit for all vacancies as you need to train people too.”

New ideas

Using technology, Singhal said that the police would detect hotspots for crime against women and atrocities against SCs and would focus on them. “A similar strategy will be used for cybercrime.”

He shared that an initiative called ‘Madadgar Police' or ‘May I Help You’ will be launched. The idea is to assist people in need at night, especially when they are travelling. “One may need immediate hospitalisation, or help during a car breakdown, or need fuel.”

He said that police personnel would receive financial assistance for their children's weddings. “A banquet hall will be constructed in the police lines for weddings.” “We want the police to adopt villages. If there are 400 police stations, each one can adopt a village and can take care of their needs right from sanitation to crime control.”

Challenges

Regarding extortion calls in the state, Singhal said none would be taken lightly. “They are spreading terror. Any criminal engaging in such activities will not be spared. We will extradite them from abroad.”

Regarding work pressure among personnel, he mentioned that mental health becomes collateral damage in policing. “I am working to ensure mandatory weekly leave for personnel and regular health check-ups after 35 years of age.”

Regarding Bangladeshi infiltrators, he said, “It is a big challenge. Our teams are working, and information is being collected. Multiple agencies are involved.”

Regarding missing persons, Operation ‘Muskaan’ will proceed, he stated.

“We have 10,000 absconding criminals, including proclaimed offenders and bail jumpers,” he added.

On opposition allegations of poor law and order in the state, Singhal replied, “Had there been poor law and order, there would not have been such big investments in the state.”