NEW DELHI: Mr DS Mangat the new Punjab Police chief belongs to the 1959 batch of the IPS and was working as Director General (Operations).
Mr Gill has been appointed Director-General of the CRPF against a vacant post. He belongs to the 1957 batch of the IPS of the Assam cadre. Mr P.S. Bhinder who has been working as acting director-general CRPF will go as Director-General CISF.
Gill took over as DGP Punjab in April 1988 from Mr J.F. Ribeiro. He came into limelight for his handling of Operation Black Thunder during which militants in the Golden Temple complex were forced to surrender.
It was under Mr Gill’s stewardship that the Punjab police intensified the battle against freedom fighters. On several occasions during the past two years the security forces gave the impression that they had the upper hand but the forces lost the initiative. Mr Gill and his force came under a heavy attack for excesses against innocent people. There have been persistent demands from Akalis of various hues to remove Mr Gill. The demand received strong support from Akalis after the Lok Sabha poll. Mr Simranjit Singh Mann has been a bitter critic of the outgoing DGP.
Gill did succeed in establishing a rapport with the officers and the constabulary of the Punjab police. He was also able to coordinate the efforts of the para-military forces deployed in the state with that of the state police.
While Gills transfer gladdened the hearts of the Akalis there are apprehensions in political circles that the Centers action may send wrong signals.
There have been reports in the Press that a number of police officers heading operations against the militants in various districts did not relish Gill being shifted out of Punjab. They are believed to have informed their superiors that they would like to be shifted out of the state too.
KPS Gills transfer from Punjab was synchronized with the arrival of a new Governor in the state General O.P. Malhotra.
And now the Chief Secretary Mr S.L.Kapur has also been shifted to the Centre.
Mr D.S.Mangat the successor to Mr K.P.S.Gill is the senior most IPS officer of the Punjab cadre. He belongs to so 1959 batch born on New Year day in 1935 Mr Mangat was Chief Director Vigilance Bureau Punjab until April 28 this year when he was made Director General of Police Operations.
Mangat is the 23rd chief of the state police.
It is after a gap of nearly four years that an officer belonging to the Punjab cadre heads the state police the last Punjab police officer to head the force was Mr Baljit Singh Dhaliwal who after a five month spell in the office was replaced by Mr J.F. Ribeiro. Before Mr Dhaliwal also three police chiefs were outsiders.
The following have been Inspectors-General or Directors-General of Punjab Police since 1947 (in that order): Mr Sant Parkash Singh Mr D.C Lal Mr Waryam Singh Kanwar Shamsher Singh Mr Gurdial Singh Kanwar Shamsher Singh Mr Ashwani Kumar Mr J.R. Chhabra Mr S.N. Mathur Mr DS. Grewal Mr J.S. Bawa Mr B.S.Danewalia Mr D.S.Garewal Mr C.K Sawhney Mr Birbal Nath Mr C.K. Sawhney Mr P S. Bhinder Mr K.S.Dhillon Mr S.D. Pandey Mr B S. Dhaliwal MrJ. Ribeiro and Mr K.P S. Gill.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 11, 1991
