Chandigarh (22.05.2026): Punjab that has the longest serving officiating DGP as Gaurav Yadav (IPS: 1992: PB) is still unable to get a permanent one despite Supreme Court interventions. Now, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has asked the Punjab government to provide ‘present status of pending cases' against Sharad Satya Chauhan (IPS: 1992: PB), director of Punjab Vigilance Bureau, before convening the empanelment committee meeting to shortlist three officers for the post of a regular DGP of Punjab. This may further delay the process.

Chauhan is the most senior among the 14 IPS officers who figure on the list sent by state government to UPSC on April 6. The commission sought the details on Chauhan on May 15, four days after CBI dashed to Punjab Vigilance Bureau headquarters in Mohali on the night of May 11 in connection with an alleged bribery case in which Chauhan's reader, inspector O P Singh Rana, is one of the accused.

This is to recall that in February, the Supreme Court of India had pulled up some states, including Punjab, for having acting DGPs. The Punjab government had passed the Punjab Police (Amendment) Bill in 2023, which empowers the state to appoint the DGP through a separate state-level committee. However, this bill is yet to be given assent by the President. The AAP government had appointed Gaurav Yadav as officiating DGP in July 2022 after the state police head V K Bhawra (Retd IPS: 1987: PB) was sent on leave.

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