Dinkar Gupta new DGP of Punjab

Senior IPS officer Dinkar Gupta was on Thursday appointed as the Punjab director general of police.

He succeeds Suresh Arora, who was on an extension after his retirement on September 30 last year. Gupta's appointment was cleared by the chief minister Thursday morning, an official spokesman said here.

Gupta, a 1987-batch IPS officer, is the senior-most of three officers, all of the same batch, to be empanelled for appointment to the top post by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) earlier this week.

In his previous stint, Gupta was posted as Director General of Police, Intelligence, Punjab. His responsibilities involved the direct supervision of the Punjab State Intelligence Wing, State Anti-Terrorist Squad and Organized Crime Control Unit.

Gupta was empanelled on April 26 last year for appointment to the post of additional director general at the Centre.

He did an eight-year stint on central deputation with the Home Ministry, from June 2004 to July 2012, where he held many sensitive assignments.

Gupta had served as Senior Superintendent of Police of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur districts for more than seven years. He held the posts when Punjab was bearing the brunt of terrorism.

He was decorated with Police Medal for Gallantry (1992) and Bar to Police Medal for Gallantry (1994) for display of exceptional courage, conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty of a high order.

Gupta was also decorated with the Police Medal for Meritorious Services by the President and the Presidents Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2010).