Choose DGP from 3 on panel, Punjab told

Jupinderjit Singh
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, February 4

The Union Public Service Commission today shortlisted three DGP-rank officers — Samant Goel, Mohd Mustafa and Dinkar Gupta — for the post of Punjab Director General of Police.

The ball is back in the court of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh, who will make the final selection. The UPSC panel, which besides the UPSC officials included Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and incumbent DGP Suresh Arora, finalised the three names.

Earlier, following the Supreme Court orders, the state government had sent a panel of more than 30 officers, including nine DGP- rank officers and several ADGPs, who had completed 20 years of service. DGP (Special Task Force) Mohd Mustafa and DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta are the frontrunners for the post.

The incumbent DGP, Suresh Arora, is on a one-year extension till September 30, but doesn’t want to continue, thus necessitating the need to choose a new DGP.

Mohd Mustafa, a 1985-batch IPS officer, is second in seniority to 1984-batch officer Samant Goel, who is on Central deputation. He is considered a dark horse for the post. Mustafa’s wife Razia Sultana is a Punjab minister. 

DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta is a 1987-batch IPS officer who has busted several terror modules. He is included on the panel over three seniors — Hardeep Dhillon, Jasminder Singh and Sidharth Chattopadhaya.