Bhullar returns to border range as IG
Senior IPS officer Gurpreet Singh Bhullar has been posted as Inspector General of Police, Border Range, weeks after he was removed from the post of Commissioner of Police, Amritsar. The posting brings him back to an operational assignment covering some of Punjab's most sensitive border districts, including Amritsar Rural, Batala, Gurdaspur and Pathankot.
The Punjab government on Tuesday transferred 20 police officers, including eight IPS officers, appointing new senior superintendents of police (SSPs) in six districts and posting Bhullar as border range IG, as reported by The Times of India. Bhullar had been awaiting posting since he was removed as Amritsar police commissioner on August 7.
Harmanbir Singh Gill, who had been given additional charge as Amritsar police commissioner following Bhullar's removal, has been given the permanent charge as Police Commissioner, according to The Tribune. The Tribune also reported that Border Range DIG Harmanbir Singh has been relieved of the range DIG charge while retaining the Amritsar posting.
The controversy behind the transfer
Bhullar's removal from Amritsar came amid a controversy over a media briefing concerning an alleged Pakistan-based terror module. The Tribune reported that the controversy erupted after portions of a press conference addressed by Bhullar on August 4 were circulated on social media, with posts allegedly giving the impression that an alleged ISI-backed terror module busted by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police was linked to protesters at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.
The Punjab Police subsequently clarified that there was no association between the protesters and the terror module. According to the police, Bhullar had stated that some of the arrested suspects had visited Jantar Mantar, conducted reconnaissance and allegedly planned to target the protesters with petrol bombs. However, he had not stated that the suspects were part of the protests or that the protesters had links with the terror module.
The police said selectively edited portions of the press conference, along with captions and visuals, had distorted its context. Legal action under the Information Technology Act was announced against those responsible for the posts, as reported by The Tribune.
The Bharatiya Janata Party questioned the timing of the transfer and linked it to Bhullar's disclosure, The Tribune reported. The transfer had triggered speculation, coming less than a month after his removal.
Wider transfer of police officers
Alongside Bhullar's posting, the Punjab government carried out a broader reshuffle of police leadership across the state. Suhail Qasim Mir, assistant inspector general (AIG), personnel, replaces Jyoti Yadav as Bathinda SSP, while Yadav has been posted commandant, 82nd battalion PAP, Chandigarh, as reported by The Times of India.
In other changes, Varun Sharma, Patiala SSP, has been posted as Mohali SSP, while Harmandeep Singh Hans, Mohali SSP, takes over as Patiala SSP. Vaibhav Choudhary, SP headquarters, Patiala, replaces Bhagirath Singh Meena as Mansa SSP, with Meena now posted as AIG, personnel.
The reshuffle also affected PPS officers. Harkamalpreet Singh Khakh replaces Gurmit Singh as Malerkotla SSP, with Gurmit Singh posted as commandant, In-Service Training Centre (ISTC), Kapurthala. Manpreet Singh, SP investigation, Sangrur, replaces Daljinder Singh Dhillon as Pathankot SSP, with Dhillon now zonal AIG, CID, Jalandhar.
Strategic significance
The Border Range posting is considered strategically significant given the region's proximity to the international border. The Tribune noted that drones are emerging as a major tool for cross-border smuggling in the area, adding to the operational challenges faced by the police.
Bhullar's return to the border belt comes at a time when security forces are focusing on preventing cross-border smuggling and other illegal activities. His appointment is seen as restoring a senior officer with experience in the region to a key position, though neither the Punjab government nor the police department has issued an official statement on the rationale behind the transfer or the new posting.