In his seventh transfer of the year, deputy inspector general (DIG) Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi was appointed managing director of the Himachal Pradesh General Industries Corporation Ltd. (HPGIC) on Tuesday.
Gandhi, a 2012-batch officer promoted to the IPS from the state police service, succeeds Bhupender Kumar, HPAS (2009), who has been relieved of the charge. The transfer order was issued by chief secretary Kamlesh Kumar Pant on the recommendations of the Civil Services Board. Gandhi moves to HPGIC from his previous assignment as managing director of the Himachal Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation in Kangra. Prior to that, he was attached with the department of personnel.
Once considered close to chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Gandhi faces two FIRs registered within 24 hours of each other over alleged financial misappropriation during his tenure as superintendent of police (SP), Shimla, between 2023 and February 7, 2026. The first FIR was registered on October 21 following a complaint by a police constable alleging non-reimbursement of ₹1.87 lakh (with related claims citing up to ₹2.35 lakh) spent on official arrangements, along with allegations of cheating and forgery. The second FIR (October 22) involves audit findings alleging the unauthorised diversion of ₹14.07 lakh in field establishment funds—meant for repairing constables’ quarters and police posts at Rampur and Shoghi—to renovate Gandhi’s official residence in Shimla without sanctioned approvals. Gandhi has denied all charges, terming the cases a witch-hunt.
Promoted to the rank of DIG in January 2026, he was transferred from SP, Shimla, and appointed managing director of Milkfed on February 9, but directed to report to the department of personnel instead of joining.
{{/usCountry}}Promoted to the rank of DIG in January 2026, he was transferred from SP, Shimla, and appointed managing director of Milkfed on February 9, but directed to report to the department of personnel instead of joining.
{{/usCountry}}On March 24, he was appointed DIG, traffic, tourist, and railways. On October 7, Gandhi was transferred as MD of the Himachal Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation, Kangra, before being shifted to head the HPGIC in Shimla on October 27.
Gandhi refused to comment on the transfers. Regarding the FIRs, he said, “Requisite procedures were not followed while registering cases against me, so the fairness of the investigations is highly questionable. I will take suitable legal remedies available to me at an appropriate time.”
Controversies
Gandhi’s career has been marked by high-profile clashes with three consecutive DGPs—Sanjay Kundu, Atul Verma and Ashok Tewari—as well as political leadership and senior bureaucrats.
During a press conference on May 24, 2025, Gandhi publicly accused Kundu of misrepresenting a July 2023 gas leak explosion in Shimla’s Middle Bazaar as a terror attack to improperly deploy National Security Guard (NSG) resources.
In May 2025, while leading a special investigation team (SIT) into the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited chief engineer Vimal Negi, Gandhi accused then-DGP Atul Verma of interfering with the probe and filing misleading court affidavits. Verma recommended Gandhi’s suspension for indiscipline before the state government sent both officers on forced leave. The case was transferred to the CBI by the high court, where Gandhi remained a primary witness regarding administrative interference; the Supreme Court subsequently reprimanded the agency over its initial handling of the transferred investigation.
On June 20 this year, officiating DGP Ashok Tewari issued a notice, directing Gandhi to vacate his current official residence meant for the Shimla SP, also slapping a penal rent of around ₹1.8 lakh for occupying the accommodation months after his transfer. Gandhi contested, so the state government put that notice in abeyance.
His investigative tenures also drew sharp political opposition. Gandhi accused BJP MLA Sudhir Sharma of orchestrating horse-trading during the February 2024 Rajya Sabha elections and filed a contempt petition against him over video leaks. Sharma retaliated with a criminal defamation notice and requested a privilege motion against Gandhi in the assembly.
Gandhi was awarded the DGP disc and best administrator award in 2022 for anti-narcotics operations.