Dismissing reports about a Punjab cadre IPS officer likely to be appointed as Himachal Pradesh DGP, Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Thursday said no decision has been taken on appointment of the next police chief.
“No decision has been taken so far about the new DGP and there was no question of writing to Punjab, Haryana or any other state in this regard,” Virbhadra told media persons here. Present DGP B Kamal Kumar, a 1982-batch IPS officer, is superannuating on July 31. Name of S K Sharma, a 1983-batch IPS officer of Punjab Cadre, is doing the rounds for the post.
IPS officers of the state cadre Somesh Goyal, Sanjay Kumar and S R Mardi are also seen as contenders for the top post. At present none of the senior IPS officers have completed mandatory 30 years of service for appointment as DGP but there have been instances when IPS officers with less than 30 years functioned as DGP for sufficient period of time.
DGP I D Bhandari, currently posted as home guards and fire services DGP, is the senior most in the IPS cadre but he was removed by the present government in the wake of phone tapping controversy as he was heading CID when illegal phone tapping took place during the previous BJP regime.
Somesh Goyal is the next senior most officer but he is currently on deputation with Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), while Sanjay Kumar is on deputation with the Railways and Mardi is serving as additional director general of police, CID.