Randhawa questions unauthorised deployment of gunmen from battalions

Punjab deputy CM Randhawa directs all zonal IGs and DIGs to conduct audit and submit report by November 25

Deputy chief minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has taken strong notice of the trend of unauthorised deployment of gunmen on duty from the police battalions and police stations, directing all the zonal IGs and DIGs to conduct audit and submit report by November 25.

Punjab home minister Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa with Punjab Director General of Police Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota addressing a press conference in Amritsar on Tuesday. (Sameer Sehgal/HT)

The deputy chief minister, while taking note of police officers and personnel going out of their jurisdiction without approval, issued orders that no officer and the employee would leave his or her area of jurisdiction without permission from the supervising officer. The violation of this order would attract strict disciplinary action, he warned in a statement, calling it a serious matter.

Randhawa said it has come to his notice that gunmen are deployed in an unauthorised manner from the police battalions/police stations. “The police officers and personnel leave their jurisdictional zones which will not be tolerated,” he said.

Additional chief secretary (home) Anurag Verma has issued written directions in this regard to all the IGs and DIGs. They have to conduct manpower audit of minimum two police stations from amongst the area under their jurisdiction and submit the report. Verma has also written to the DGP, all the police commissioners and the SSPs in the matter of not allowing the police officers/personnel to leave without permission their areas of jurisdiction.