Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has given in-principle approval for the appointment of Gaurav Yadav as the state’s regular Director General of Police (DGP), paving the way for an end to the four-year-long arrangement under which he has been serving as the officiating police chief.
According to sources, the Home Department had submitted the appointment file to the Chief Minister. However, the file had not been returned to the department by Thursday evening, and a formal announcement was awaited. The government is expected to take a final decision ahead of the October 13 deadline set by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
Yadav, a 1992-batch IPS officer, has been serving as the officiating DGP since July 2022. His appointment as regular DGP would bring an end to the prolonged uncertainty over the leadership of the Punjab Police.
UPSC Shortlists Three Officers
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) had shortlisted three 1992-batch IPS officers for the post of regular Punjab DGP. Apart from Gaurav Yadav, the panel includes:
Sharad Satya Chauhan: Currently heading the Punjab Vigilance Bureau, he is the senior-most officer among the three shortlisted candidates.
Harpreet Singh Sidhu: A senior IPS officer who was repatriated to his parent cadre after serving on central deputation.
Gaurav Yadav: The incumbent officiating DGP, who has been heading the Punjab Police since July 2022.
The UPSC panel was sent to the Punjab Government in July 2026, but the state had not announced its final choice by early October.
