Punjab govt appoints Gaurav Yadav regular DGP

The Punjab government on Friday appointed 1992-batch IPS officer Gaurav Yadav as the state’s regular Director General of Police (DGP), ending his tenure as acting chief that began in May 2022.

The appointment follows scrutiny by the Punjab and Haryana High Court over the delay in appointing a regular DGP.

An order issued by the Department of Home Affairs said Yadav would have a minimum tenure of two years from the date he assumes charge.

After taking charge, Yadav said Punjab Police remained committed to maintaining peace and harmony in the state. He also vowed to intensify operations against gangsters and their networks.

“There is no place for gangsters and anti-social elements in Punjab,” he said, adding that police would pursue them wherever they were hiding, including abroad, and bring them to justice.

Yadav also said the state government’s anti-drug campaign, Yudh Nashian Virudh, would be intensified following a high-level review meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

He said government departments, Punjab Police and the public would work together to take the campaign to its intended conclusion.