Chandigarh: The Punjab government on Sunday issued immediate orders transferring and reassigning 12 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers across several senior posts in the state and union territory of Chandigarh, the Department of Home Affairs (Home-I Branch) said in an official release.
Key leadership changes
The reshuffle places V Neeraja, IPS (1994), currently Special DGP (Cyber Crime), as Special Director General of Police (SAS Nagar). Her move shifts the leadership overseeing cybercrime to a new senior role at SAS Nagar.
Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal, IPS (1997), until now Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) with additional charge of ADGP (Jails), has been posted as ADGP (Cyber Crime) at SAS Nagar. According to the release, he will continue to retain the additional charge of ADGP (Jails) for Punjab and Chandigarh.
Vigilance and personnel postings
The government has named Nanak Singh, IPS (2011), who served as DIG (Ropar Range), as DIG (Internal Vigilance Cell) for Punjab and Chandigarh. The orders specify he will also continue to hold additional charge of DIG (Ropar Range).
At the personnel wing, Vatsala Gupta, IPS (2016), previously Commandant of the 27th Battalion of Punjab Armed Police (PAP), Jalandhar, has been posted as AIG (Personnel-II) in Punjab and Chandigarh against a vacant post. Her earlier assignments included additional charges as AIG (ANTF), Ludhiana and AIG (ARP & SDRF), Jalandhar.
Pragya Jain, IPS (2017), who had been functioning as Punjab AIG (Law and Order), is now AIG (ANTF) for the Ludhiana Range and will also hold the additional charge of AIG (Internal Security) in Punjab and Ludhiana, relieving Vatsala Gupta of those responsibilities.
Changes at DCP and ADCP levels
Several officers in the Deputy Commissioner of Police rank were moved to city law-and-order and investigation posts:
- Arvind Meena, IPS (2020) — from SP (Headquarters), Ropar, to DCP (Law and Order), Ludhiana against a vacant post.
- Akarshi Jain, IPS (2020) — from Jalandhar ADCP to DCP (Headquarters), Amritsar against a vacant post.
- Jasroop Kaur Batth, IPS (2020) — from Amritsar ADCP to DCP (Law and Order), Jalandhar.
- Aditya S Warrier, IPS (2020) — from SP (Investigation), Amritsar Rural, to DCP (City), Jalandhar.
- Jayant Puri, IPS (2021) — transferred from ADCP (Investigation), Jalandhar, to ADCP (Investigation), Amritsar replacing Jagbinder Singh, PPS.
- Ashok Meena, IPS (2022) — ASP (SD North), Jalandhar, will look after the work (order notes his new responsibilities but does not list an explicit new posting in the release).
Administrative rationale and implications
The Home-I Branch release cited administrative grounds for the transfers and said the orders take effect immediately. Such reshuffles are routine in policing but can influence local operational priorities — for instance, the appointment of a new ADGP (Cyber Crime) comes as digital crimes continue to draw attention from investigators and policymakers across the state.
Moving officers between law-and-order, vigilance, jails and cybercrime portfolios aims to refresh leadership and realign expertise to evolving challenges: strengthening internal vigilance while retaining continuity in regional ranges by allowing some officers to keep additional charges, the release adds.
Table: Officers and new postings
| Officer | Batch | New Posting | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| V Neeraja | 1994 | Special DGP (SAS Nagar) | From Special DGP (Cyber Crime) |
| Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal | 1997 | ADGP (Cyber Crime), SAS Nagar | Retains ADGP (Jails), Punjab & Chandigarh |
| Nanak Singh | 2011 | DIG (Internal Vigilance Cell), Punjab & Chandigarh | Retains DIG (Ropar Range) |
| Vatsala Gupta | 2016 | AIG (Personnel-II), Punjab & Chandigarh | From Commandant, 27th PAP |
| Pragya Jain | 2017 | AIG (ANTF), Ludhiana Range; AIG (Internal Security) | Relieved Vatsala Gupta of internal security charge |
| Arvind Meena | 2020 | DCP (Law & Order), Ludhiana | Previously SP (HQ), Ropar |
| Akarshi Jain | 2020 | DCP (HQ), Amritsar | From Jalandhar ADCP |
| Jasroop Kaur Batth | 2020 | DCP (Law & Order), Jalandhar | From Amritsar ADCP |
| Aditya S Warrier | 2020 | DCP (City), Jalandhar | From SP (Investigation), Amritsar Rural |
| Jayant Puri | 2021 | ADCP (Investigation), Amritsar | Replaces Jagbinder Singh, PPS |
| Ashok Meena | 2022 | — | To look after work (ASP SD North, Jalandhar) |
What to expect locally
For district administrations and local policing units in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar and Ropar, the changes mean new leadership at pivotal law-and-order and investigative posts. Residents and institutions in these cities may see administrative adjustments as newly posted officers assume charge and set local priorities.
In cybercrime and jail administration, continuity was partly preserved by allowing Rajesh Kumar Jaiswal to keep additional charge of jails while taking over cybercrime at SAS Nagar — an arrangement indicating the government’s intention to maintain oversight during the transition.
The Home-I Branch release contains the full list of orders and indicated the changes are effective immediately.
