Senior IPS officer challenges DGP appointment in administrative tribunal

VK Bhawra, a senior IPS officer in Punjab, has taken legal action against the appointment of Gaurav Yadav as the Director General of Police (DGP) in the Chandigarh bench of the Central Administrative Tribunal. The hearing for Bhawra’s application is scheduled for October 30.
In his application, Bhawra, a member of the 1987 IPS batch with an impeccable service record spanning over 35 years, asserted that he was appointed as DGP for a two-year term on January 9, 2022. However, when the new state government assumed office, Bhawra claimed that he faced pressure to step down from his position, as he was perceived to be the appointee of the previous government.
He alleged that he was instructed not to file cases against certain public figures, provide security for Punjab Police contingents accompanying dignitaries outside the state, and faced various forms of coercion.
Feeling under constant pressure, Bhawra sought a 60-day leave in July 2022, nearly six months into his DGP tenure. During his absence, Gaurav Yadav was given additional responsibility for the post. Bhawra’s leave ended on September 2, 2022. However, in a departure from the provisions of the Punjab Police Act, 2007, the respondents issued an order transferring Bhawra from his current role as DGP to the position of Chairman, Punjab Police Housing Corporation in SAS Nagar.
Bhawra argued that this order was illegal and unsustainable. He petitioned the Tribunal to reinstate him as the DGP, emphasizing the recommendation of the UPSC and the January 8, 2022, order that appointed him to the DGP position for a two-year term. He also requested the Tribunal to prevent the respondents from appointing or assigning additional responsibilities for the DGP role to any other officer until he has completed his full two-year term.