The prolonged phase of interim leadership at the helm of Punjab Police has officially concluded. The state administration has appointed senior IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the regular Director General of Police, marking the arrival of a permanent police chief in Punjab after a gap of four years. The formal appointment comes with a mandatory minimum tenure of at least two years.
Selection Finalised From UPSC Panel
The state government confirmed the appointment after evaluating a panel of three shortlisted candidates submitted by the UPSC. Gaurav Yadav, an officer belonging to the 1992 IPS batch, had already been helming the force as the officiating DGP since July 2022. The formal decision now transitions his role from an ad-hoc arrangement into a full-fledged regular posting.
The shortlist forwarded by the Union Public Service Commission featured two other distinguished senior officers alongside Yadav. They were Sharad Satya Chauhan, currently posted as the chief of the state vigilance bureau, and Harpreet Singh Sidhu. In terms of service tenures, Gaurav Yadav is slated to retire on April 30, 2029. Chauhan is due for superannuation on March 31, 2028, while Sidhu, who was repatriated prematurely to his parent cadre from central deputation last year, will retire on May 31, 2027.
High Court Intervention Prompted Swift Action
Although the Punjab administration received the recommendations from the UPSC back in July, the appointment had remained in limbo for months. The procedural delay triggered legal scrutiny following a public interest litigation moved before the High Court by advocate Nikhil Thamman. The petition challenged the prolonged reliance on interim arrangements and additional charges for heading the state police department.
Taking up the petition, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Justice Rohit Kapoor issued decisive directions to the state on October 1. The court instructed the administration to take an appropriate final call regarding the appointment of a regular DGP without further delay. Furthermore, the bench directed Chief Secretary KAP Sinha to submit a formal compliance affidavit ahead of the next hearing scheduled for October 13, prompting the administration to act swiftly and notify the permanent appointment.
