Next Punjab DGP: UPSC holds meet, 3 names discussed

The Union Public Service Commission Monday held a meeting to discuss the panels sent by the Punjab government for the selection of the next Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab.

The names of three senior IPS officers -- Mohammad Mustafa (1985 batch), Samant Goel (1984 batch) and Dinkar Gupta (1987 batch) were learnt to have been discussed during the meeting which took place in Delhi, official sources said.

The meeting was also attended by Punjab Chief Secretary Karan Avtar Singh and DGP Suresh Arora.

The UPSC will send the names of three IPS officers to the state government for selecting one of them as next Punjab DGP, official sources further said.

Mustafa, who is currently DGP (STF) and Gupta, who is now DGP (Intelligence) are the front runners for the DGP post. Goel is on Central deputation.

The Punjab government last month had sent three different panels to the UPSC for the selection of DGP.

The first panel had comprised 12 IPS officers (9 DGPs and three ADGPs) who had completed 30 years of their service while the second panel included names of officers who were left with service of more than two years and the third list included names of those who were left with less than two years of service.

The incumbent DGP Suresh Arora, who was on extension, had told Chief Minister Amarinder Singh that he was not keen on continuing. The state government had asked him to discharge duties until the UPSC clears a panel of names for DGP post.