Chandigarh: Punjab’s Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said on Wednesday (February 19, 2025) that as many as 52 police officials have been dismissed from service across the State for corruption, malpractice, criminal activities, and prolonged absenteeism.
To ensure full transparency, accountability and integrity in public service delivery, Punjab government has started taking stern action, especially to wipe out corruption from the state. The development started days after the state government issued directions to the Deputy Commissioners, Sub Divisional Magistrates, Senior Superintendents of Police and Station House Officers in the state to check corruption in their respective areas, else face action. The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab had received serious complaints of corruption in the state and on Monday suspended a 2016-batch Deputy Commissioner of Sri Muktsar Sahib, Rajesh Tripathi, and ordered a vigilance inquiry against him, following serious complaints of corruption against him and replaced with another, a 2015-batch officer with immediate effect as per the information reveals.
The development came soon after the incident when the Punjab state government issued directions to the all DCs, SDMs, SSPs, DSPs, SHOs, Tehsildars, Naib Tehsildars to check corruption in their respective areas else face action in consonance with the ‘zero tolerance towards corruption policy’, issued detailed instructions to all the officers, but also from the elected representatives like the MPs and MLAs and said feedback will lead to rewards and punishments for the officers. According to information, the Punjab Police have dismissed 52 personnel over the past 10 days having involvement in corruption, criminal activities or prolonged absenteeism, addressing a press conference Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav said a couple of days ago said the action aligned with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s directions for ensuring transparency, accountability and integrity in public service in Punjab state. Of the 52 dismissed cops, one is inspector, 5 assistant sub-inspectors, four head-constables and 42 constables. Information revealed that the highest 7 dismissals are in Ludhiana, 5 in Patiala and 4 each in Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur.
Sources reveal, following the Aam Aadmi Party’s poor performance in the Delhi Assembly elections, the Mann government in Punjab has intensified crackdown on corruption, since the AAP had won the 2022 Assembly poll in Punjab on the promise of eradicating corruption, particularly among the black sheeps in uniform and position involved in extortion charges. Meanwhile, while talking to media persons DGP Gaurav Yadav said the Punjab Police were all set to introduce an e-FIR facility for motor vehicle theft, which would allow complainants to lodge an FIR using online platforms or visiting ‘Saanjh Kendras’.
