The Punjab government on Monday transferred 14 police officers, including 11 IPS officers, in a reshuffle that comes amid a political confrontation in Majitha, which has put the functioning of the Amritsar rural police under scrutiny.
Key Transfers
Among those shifted was Amritsar rural SSP Suhail Qasim Mir, who was transferred as AIG (personnel-I), Punjab, just hours after addressing a press conference regarding a case involving Shiromani Akali Dal functionary Bikram Singh Majithia and his supporters. Mir had alleged that Majithia and others entered the Majitha police station "forcefully and illegally" on Sunday in an attempt to secure the release of an accused from police custody. Following the allegations, police conducted raids at Majithia's residences in Amritsar and Chandigarh.
The transfer order stated that the postings were made on administrative grounds with immediate effect.
New Appointments
PPS officer Kanwal Preet Singh, who was serving as ADCP (industrial security) in Ludhiana, has been posted as SP (headquarters), Amritsar rural. He will also look after the charge of Amritsar rural SSP until further orders. Tejbir Singh, who previously held the post, has been posted as assistant commandant of the 80th Battalion, PAP, Jalandhar Cantonment.
The reshuffle also saw Jalandhar commissioner of police Dhanpreet Kaur posted as director of the Maharaja Ranjit Singh Punjab Police Academy in Phillaur. Ludhiana range DIG Satinder Singh replaced her as Jalandhar police commissioner.
Faridkot SSP Pragya Jain was posted as AIG (law and order), while Gurbans Singh Bains was given additional charge of Faridkot SSP. Border range DIG Sandeep Goel was posted as Ludhiana range DIG, while Vivek Sheel Soni was assigned additional charge of Border range DIG.
Legal Context
These developments come as the Punjab and Haryana High Court is hearing a petition challenging the arrest of Jobanpreet Singh, an election agent of the Shiromani Akali Dal, in the Majitha case.
