Who is Gaurav Yadav, IPS officer named officiating Punjab DGP to eliminate gangster culture?

On Tuesday, senior IPS officer Gaurav Yadav officially took over as Punjab's director general of police. He reaffirmed the state's commitment to eradicating gangster culture and eliminating the drug epidemic. Yadav was appointed as the officiating DGP after current state police head V K Bhawra proceeded on a two-month leave from Tuesday.

After taking over, the officer stated that the goal of the state administration and Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was to eradicate gang culture and control the drug epidemic.

"We are committed to give a secure law and environment and friendly-policing to the state," Yadav said, while also seeking public's cooperation in this regard.

While speaking in the state assembly recently, Mann announced bringing comprehensive law and order reforms as he reiterated his will to eliminate gangster culture from the state.

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Mann had said that the state government was duty-bound to curb gangster activities in the state.

Announcing the war against drugs, he had categorically said that police had been directed not to spare anyone conniving with the drug mafia.

Mann had said that SSPs and police commissioners had been asked to work closely with the Special Task Force (STF) to catch the big sharks involved in the supply of drugs.

Yadav, the 1992-batch IPS officer, was posted as special principal secretary to the chief minister.

The officer, who is also the son-in-law of former Punjab Director General of Police (DGP) P C Dogra, is a counter-intelligence expert.

He had served as the intelligence wing chief during the SAD-BJP regime in 2016.

Yadav stressed on the need to revive basic policing, which includes keeping vigil in vulnerable spots and be always ready to handle any kind of anticipated law and order situation, monitoring crime data, inspections of police stations and looking after the welfare of security personnel. 

The DGP also directed all the commissioners of police and senior superintendents of police to increase the number of police checkpoints in their respective jurisdictions and ensure the frisking of maximum vehicles at every 'naka' (check point), which will help in curtailing criminal activities. 

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He also advised that all the 'nakas' should be synchronised in a manner that they must get activated promptly on a single call. He also directed them to ramp up the drug recoveries.

Yadav also emphasised on the need for capacity building of the police stations by upgrading them and making them citizen-friendly, besides acquiring new patrolling vehicles and hi-tech equipment for modernisation.

(With inputs from PTI)

• Gaurav Yadav
• Punjab
• IPS
• Punjab DGP
• Bhagwant Mann