Chandigarh: The Election Commission appointed IPS Officer Suresh Arora as the new state police chief of Punjab. The incumbent Director General of Police (DGP), Sumedh Singh Saini, has proceeded on leave, starting April 4. A 1982 batch Indian Police Service officer, Arora is presently chief director, vigilance. The Punjab government had sent a panel of three senior police officers to the EC for appointment as the state police chief. Punjab’s additional chief electoral officer (CEO) Supreet Singh Gulati told media here that the panel consisted of Indian Police Service officer G.D. Pandey (1981 batch), Sanjeev Gupta and Arora (both 1982 batch). Congress urged Election Commission to remove Saini from his post. Punjab has 13 Lok Sabha seats which go to polls April 30.
IANS