PU alumnus Sagar Preet Hooda appointed Chandigarh DGP

Hooda was serving as special commissioner with Delhi Police since January 2024. Prior to this, he held the position of special commissioner of police (law and order) from January 2022 to January 2024. In an earlier tenure, he served as joint commissioner of police, Delhi, between February 2021 and February 2022.

Panjab University (PU) alumnus Sagar Preet Hooda has been appointed the director general of police (DGP) Chandigarh.

Sagar Preet Hooda, a 1997-batch AGMUT-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, has been appointed Chandigarh DGP. (HT Photo)

A Union home ministry order, released on Tuesday, read: “Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, a 1997-batch AGMUT-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is hereby transferred from Delhi to Chandigarh and posted as DGP with immediate effect until further orders.”

Hooda was serving as special commissioner with Delhi Police since January 2024. Prior to this, he held the position of special commissioner of police (law and order) from January 2022 to January 2024. In an earlier tenure, he served as joint commissioner of police, Delhi, between February 2021 and February 2022.

He pursued PhD in sociology from PU (1991-97), where he had earlier completed MA in sociology (1989–1991).

The DGP’s post in Chandigarh has remained vacant for over three months since former top cop Surendra Yadav was transferred on April 1.

Yadav, who had one of the shortest stints as DGP in Chandigarh, had taken some bold measures which had caused resentment within the force.

During his tenure, over 400 policemen opted for the voluntary retirement scheme (VRS), citing unwillingness to continue service. This mass exodus followed the transfer of 2,763 police personnel, one of the most extensive reshuffles in the history of Chandigarh Police.