Shimla: Deputy Inspector General of Police Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi has been transferred to the Department of Personnel, a move that has drawn attention after he sought an independent audit of about ₹30 crore held in the Himachal Pradesh Road Safety Fund.
Sequence and official position
The State Police Headquarters reassigned Gandhi on Monday and instructed him to report to the Department of Personnel until further orders. The transfer followed Gandhi's repeated requests that the Accountant General (AG) of Himachal Pradesh conduct an external audit of funds sanctioned between 2021 and 2026, according to official communications and police sources.
Gandhi, who was overseeing Traffic, Tourist and Railways, relied on Rule 6(4) of the Himachal Pradesh Road Safety Fund and Activities Rules, 2022 — a provision that mandates external audit oversight. He informed authorities that no statutory external audit had been undertaken since the rule came into force and flagged multiple alleged deficiencies in the fund's financial records.
Allegations of financial irregularities
In his requests, Gandhi raised concerns about:
- absent or improperly maintained Cash Book entries;
- lack of physical verification reports for assets or works;
- missing supporting documentation for completed works; and
- possible non-compliance with the General Financial Rules, 2017 and Himachal Pradesh Financial Rules on expenditure sanction and procurement procedures.
Gandhi maintained that internal departmental audits could not substitute for the statutory external audit envisaged by Rule 6(4) and sought clarification on its implementation.
State response and internal probe
The State Police Headquarters declined to permit an AG audit at this stage. In a communication dated August 3, 2026, Acting Director General of Police Ashok Tiwari described the demand for an AG audit as
"premature and misconceived"
At the same time, authorities ordered a comprehensive internal financial audit on July 31. That internal inquiry is being carried out under the supervision of Anil Kumar, Joint Controller of the State Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, and Gandhi was directed to cooperate with the departmental exercise, police officials said.
Timing and perceptions
The transfer's timing — coming soon after Gandhi's appeals for external scrutiny — has fuelled speculation. While no official order has linked the reassignment to retaliation for his audit requests, police sources suggested a connection between the transfer and the audit demand.
Neither the Director General's office nor the Department of Personnel has publicly expanded on the rationale for the transfer beyond administrative orders, and there has been no formal statement confirming any disciplinary or punitive motive.
Why the Road Safety Fund audit matters
The Road Safety Fund was constituted to finance activities aimed at reducing traffic casualties and improving road safety. External statutory audits are intended to ensure transparency, proper documentation and adherence to financial rules when public monies are spent.
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Internal audit ordered under State Vigilance | 31 July 2026 |
| Communication from ADG dismissing AG audit demand | 3 August 2026 |
| DIG Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi transferred to Department of Personnel | Monday (date per official order) |
Implications and public interest
The episode raises questions about institutional checks and balances in the management of specialised funds and the space available to officers who press for independent scrutiny. If external audit provisions in the Road Safety Fund rules are not implemented, it could weaken public oversight over how earmarked funds are spent.
At issue for citizens is not only the fate of the money — roughly ₹30 crore in this instance — but also whether the statutory mechanisms designed to protect transparency are being respected.
The internal audit now under way and any subsequent reports will determine whether procedural lapses or substantive irregularities exist in the fund's utilisation. The outcome will also influence whether there is a need for further external examination by the AG or other oversight bodies.
Attempts to obtain a formal comment from the Office of the Director General of Police and the Department of Personnel were not successful by the time of filing.
