Punjab gets new police chief, 3rd in 100 days

Chandigarh: The Punjab Government has appointed 1987 batch IPS officer Viresh Kumar Bhawra as the new Director General of Police. Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi gave his nod to the appointment. Bhawra was picked from a list of three candidates offered by the Union Public Service Commission; others on the list were Dinkar Gupta and Prabodh Kumar. The appointment – the third in around 100 days of Chief Minister Charanjit Channi's brief tenure – comes shortly before the Election Commission announces dates for next month's polls. "On the consideration of the panel received from Union Public Service Commission, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to appoint Viresh Kumar Bhawra, IPS, as Director General of Police, Punjab (Head of Police Force). "His term shall be for a minimum period of two years from the date of assumption of office in pursuance of the orders of the Supreme Court dated July 3, 2018," the Punjab government order said. Outgoing Punjab DGP Siddharth Chattopadhyaya and other senior officers have all been summoned by a Union Home Ministry team that is inquiring into circumstances that led to the Prime Minister's motorcade being held up on a flyover in Ferozepur district for 20 minutes. With agency inputs - Photo-Social Media