The Punjab government executed a significant reshuffle in its senior police ranks on Tuesday, transferring Ferozepur Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Harmanbir Singh Gill. The move comes in the wake of a series of high-profile incidents, including a court ordering the release of a political figure's daughter and a public killing of an RSS activist.
Key Police Transfers on Administrative Grounds
As per an official order from the state's home department, the transfers were made on administrative grounds with immediate effect. DIG Harmanbir Singh Gill has been moved from the Ferozepur Range to assume the role of DIG for the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) in Jalandhar.
Stepping into his former position to oversee the work of the Ferozepur Range is Snehdeep Sharma. Sharma, an officer of the Additional Inspector General (AIG) rank, was previously serving as the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) for headquarters in Ludhiana.
The Controversial Arrest and Court's Swift Release
The transfer of DIG Gill follows closely on the heels of an incident that left the Punjab police embarrassed. On Sunday, November 26, at around 4 am, a court in Tarn Taran, after an overnight hearing, ordered the release of Kanchanpreet Kaur.
Kanchanpreet is the daughter of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate Sukhwinder Kaur Randhawa, who unsuccessfully contested the November 11 Tarn Taran bypoll. Her legal troubles began when her name was added under Section 111 (organised crime) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in an FIR initially registered against her husband, Amritpal Singh Bath. Bath, described as a Canada-based gangster, was accused of criminal intimidation during the by-election.
Kanchanpreet was arrested on Friday, November 24, when she appeared for an investigation in a separate case at Majitha police station in Amritsar, where she was already out on bail. The legal battle intensified when the Punjab & Haryana High Court, hearing a habeas corpus petition filed by SAD legal cell head Arshdeep Singh Kler on Saturday, directed a magistrate to evaluate the petition's legal objections before deciding on police remand. This was swiftly followed by the Tarn Taran court's early morning release order.
Ferozepur's Violent Backdrop: RSS Activist Killing
The Ferozepur Range has also been in the spotlight due to a brazen killing. On November 15, RSS activist Naveen Arora was shot dead in full public view in Ferozepur city.
In a subsequent development, one of the main accused, identified as Badal, was killed in what police described as a crossfire on November 27. According to official statements, a police team had taken Badal to a cremation ground in Mehmujoyia, Fazilka district, to recover weapons and apprehend his associates. The police claimed that these associates opened fire, prompting retaliatory action which resulted in Badal's death. DIG Gill had stated that Badal was initially arrested on Wednesday, November 22, from Zira town in Ferozepur. During interrogation, he allegedly confessed that his accomplices were to pick him up from Mehmujoyia to help him flee to Rajasthan.
The confluence of these events—a controversial arrest overturned by the judiciary, a high-profile political connection, and a sensational murder case—forms the immediate context for the Punjab government's decision to reassign its senior police officials in the region.
