Kanwar Pal Singh Gill, the man seen responsible for stamping out several years of terrorism in Punjab, has died. He was 83 years old.
Gill, who served twice as Director General of Police (DGP) in Punjab, has been both lauded and lambasted for his role in bringing insurgency under control in the state. Seen a hero and often hailed as a supercop for his no-nonsense and ruthless approach in dealing with separatists, he and his forces were simultaneously accused of human rights violations. Gill retired from the Indian Police Service in 1995.
No stranger to controversy, Gill was, in 1996, convicted of sexually harassing a female IAS officer, Rupan Deol Bajaj, at a party in 1988. Gill was fined Rs two lakh and givem three months rigorous imprisonment, followed by two months' ordinary imprisonment, and three years of probation. The supreme Court upheld his conviction in July 2005, but reduced the jail sentences to probation.
He received a Padma Shri award, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 1989 for his work in the civil service.
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