Punjab ADGP SK Asthana removed as Bureau of Investigation head

Asthana had recently written to state DGP expressing inability to file FIR against Bikram Majithia in drugs case; six PPS officers posted as district police chiefs replaced with IPS officers on EC’s directions

Punjab additional director general of police (ADGP) SK Asthana was on Saturday removed as the head of the Bureau of Investigation (BoI) and replaced by B Chandra Sekhar.

In a reshuffle carried out on the EC’s directions ahead of the assembly polls, the state government transferred six SSPs. Punjab Police Service officers posted as district police chiefs have been replaced with Indian Police Service officers (Representative image)

Asthana, who is on medical leave, had recently locked horns with the Punjab government when he refused to book former Akali minister Bikram Singh Majithia in a drugs case. A letter by him to the Punjab Police chief, expressing his inability to file the case against Majithia citing legal hitches, was widely shared on social media, embarrassing the Charanjit Singh Channi government. The cyber-crime branch is already probing the leak after registering a case on the orders of the Punjab chief minister.

Chandra Sekhar was earlier ADGP, human rights.

Elenchezian Khanna SSP, Garg Patiala police chief

In a major reshuffle carried out on the directions of the Election Commission ahead of the assembly polls, the state government transferred six senior superintendents of police (SSPs). Punjab Police Service officers posted as district police chiefs have been replaced with Indian Police Service officers.

J Elenchezian is the new Khanna SSP and Sandeep Garg the new Patiala SSP, replacing Harcharan Singh Bhullar, who will be the additional inspector general (AIG), Intelligence. Charanjit Singh will be the new Moga SSP, replacing SS Mand. Deepak Pareek has been posted as the Mansa SSP. Mand will be the AIG, crime, Bureau of Investigation.

The government has also posted Dayama Harish Om Parkash as the Kapurthala SSP, replacing Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh, who will now be AIG, counter intelligence. Gaurav Toora has been posted as the new Batala SSP, replacing Mukhwinder Singh, who has been posted AIG, NRI affairs, Amritsar.