CHANDIGARH: The Amrinder Singh government on Thursday, a day after the Centre extended Punjab DGP Suresh Arora's tenure by nine months till September 30, decided to send a list of top five IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for selection of state police chief.
Arora's extension order came just hours after the Supreme Court declined the Punjab government's plea to be allowed to appoint DGP of its own choice. The apex court directed Punjab and four other states to follow its directions on sending a list to the UPSC three months before retirement of the DGP.
Sources informed that Arora is also not keen to continue till September. The CM's media adviser Raveen Thukral said, "Since the SC's judgment and DGP Arora's extension orders came yesterday, the matter is being examined."
After Arora, 1984-batch IPS officer Samant Kumar Goel stands next in seniority list and is on central deputation in RAW. Then comes 1985-batch officer, Mohammad Mustafa, DGP of anti-drug STF. He is followed by the 1985-batch officer and DGP law and order Hardeep Singh Dhillon, who is retiring on March 31. He is followed by 1986-batch officer Jasminder Singh (DGP internal vigilance cell) who will retire on August 30,1986-batch officer Siddharth Chattopadhyaya (DGP, PSPCL) and 1987- batch officer Dinkar Gupta (DGP intelligence).