CHANDIGARH: The Chief Minister, Beant Singh’s reported statement hinting that K.P.S. Gill, Director General of Police, would be given extension after reaching the age of superannuation in December, is being interpreted as a sop for the super cop during his current operation against militants. Officials sources here confirmed that there was a proposal to grant Gill extension in service and said a decision would be taken at the appropriate time. They claimed there was perfect rapport between the Chief Minister, who holds the Home portfolio, and the DGP. Gill is being projected by official media as Punjab’s strongman, particularly in connection with his much-publicized Operation Night Dominance to immobilize militants after sunset. Though elimination of militants in routine en- counters is being reported daily, the gains of the operations, launched week ago, have yet to be made public.

The extension in Gill’s service would affect three senior police officers holding the rank of Additional Director General Police. When brought back to Punjab in November last year from a deputation-post at the Center, Gill had replaced D.S. Mangatas the DGP. Mangat, Gill’s batch mate of 1957 IPS cadre, was shifted as the chief of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation. The ADGPs who may be considered for the post of the DGP when Gill retires are Surjit Singh, chief director vigilance, P.S. Hurra, OSD in the police department and R.K. Sharma, in charge of operations.

Both Gill and the then Chief Secretary, S.LKapur, had been re- placed and sent on deputation to the Center in March 1991 after Chandra Shekhar became the Prime Minister and Gen O.P. Malhotra was appointed the Punjab Governor. The changes in the top police and civil services of the State were affected on the repeated demand of the Akali Dal, particularly the faction headed by Simranjit Singh Mann, who wanted “dismantling of the repressive machinery before elections in the State.” Gill’s return to Punjab coincided with the Operation Rakshak IT when the Army was deployed to counter militancy.

Gill’s predecessor, J.F .Ribeiro, had also been given one-year ¢ex- tension in service and the former had taken over as the DGP in April 1988 when Ribeiro was elevated as an adviser to the Governor, S.S. Ray.

 

Article extracted from this publication >> September 25, 1992