CHANDIGARH: The high profile Director General of Police in Punjab, Mr. K.P.S. Gill retired on the New Year eve. He was on extension for the last three years after attaining the age of superannuation, An IPS officer of the Assam cadre; he was on deputation with the Punjab Government. The Punjab government received the fax message to this effect late in the evening.

According to the sources, Mr. O.P. Sharma, DGP (Intelligence), is likely to be his successor. An IPS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre on deputation here, he is the senior most police Officer in Punjab. He was granted one year extension after his retirement in October last.

Gill had not been having cordial relationship with the Chief Minister, Mr. Harcharan Singh Brar. The controversy about their relationship cropped up into the open following the transfer of some senior police officials ordered by Mr. Brar without consulting Mr. Gill. Mr. Brar wanted him Togo. At the higher level, Mr, Gill did not see eye to eye with the Union Home Minister, Mr.S.B. Chavan. It was the then Minister of the State for Internal Security, Mr. Rajesh Pilot, who announced his extension till further orders while talking to the media persons at the local airport.

‘That Mr, Brar and Mr. Gill were not going on well as apparent from the delay in the posting of police officers in the field, Mr, Brar ordered the reshuffle in the civil administration at every level after he took over. However, the police officers in the field are yet to be touched. ‘At the local level Mr. B.P. Tiwari, after his return from the Center, was posted as Additional Director General of Police (Vigilance) with the Punjab State Electricity Board in place of Mr. $.K. Verma. However, he is yet to join as Mr. Verma is not relinquished the charge. Another irritant was the former controversial Senior Superintendent of Police, Tara Tarain, Mr, and Ajit Singh Sandhu. The Supreme Court directed the Punjab, government to transfer him in the case relating to the disappearance of the Akali Dal human rights wing leader. Mr. Jaswant Singh Khalra. However, he was relieved of the charge after the state home department wrote to the police administration that his continuation would ‘amount to the contempt of the court.

Article extracted from this publication >>  January 3, 1996