Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Friday appointed 1992-batch IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the regular director general of police (DGP), ending a prolonged period of uncertainty over the state’s top police post.

The Punjab government appointed 1992-batch IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the regular director general of police (DGP) on Friday. (HT file photo)

The orders issued by the department of home affairs said that Yadav’s tenure will run for a minimum of two years from the date he assumes charge.

Yadav has led the Punjab Police as acting DGP since May 2022.

During his tenure, he has overseen flagship initiatives, including the state’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nasheyan Virudh and anti-gangster operations under Operation Prahaar.

The appointment follows intense scrutiny from the Punjab and Haryana high court regarding the delay in appointing a regular DGP. Hearing a public interest litigation, a division bench of justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Rohit Kapoor observed that the DGP post is crucial for maintaining law and order and that an ad hoc arrangement “ought not be allowed for an indefinite period.”

The court had directed the state government to decide on the matter and file an affidavit through the chief secretary ahead of the next hearing scheduled for October 13.

In July, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) forwarded a panel of three eligible 1992-batch officers for the post: Gaurav Yadav, vigilance bureau chief director Sharad Satya Chauhan, and special DGP Harpreet Singh Sidhu. While the state government maintained that the panel was under “active consideration,” petitioners pointed out the months-long delay despite the UPSC recommendations.

The selection process adheres to Supreme Court guidelines established in the Prakash Singh case on police reforms, which mandates picking a regular DGP from the UPSC-recommended panel with a guaranteed minimum tenure of two years.