A week following the directive from the Himachal Pradesh High Court to relocate Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Kundu (IPS:1989:HP) and Kangra Superintendent of Police Shalini Agnihotri (IPS:2012:HP), prompted by a complaint from a Palampur businessman, the Himachal Pradesh government took action on Tuesday. DGP Sanjay Kundu has been appointed as the Principal Secretary in the Ayush department, relieving IAS officer Amandeep Garg of the additional charge.
In response to the high court orders, Sanjay Kundu has moved the Supreme Court, with senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi representing him. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, Justice JB Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra acknowledged the submissions and agreed to hear the plea on the following Wednesday.
As of now, the Himachal Pradesh government has not designated a successor for Sanjay Kundu, leading to active lobbying for the prestigious post. IPS officer Sudhir Ranjan Ojha (IPS:1989:HP) stands as the most senior police officer in the state after Kundu. Other contenders for the position include Shyam Bhagat (IPS:1990:HP), Atul Verma (IPS:1991:HP), Ashok Tiwari (IPS:1993:HP), and Anurag Garg (IPS:1993:HP). Atul Verma had a meeting with Chief Secretary Prabodh Saxena on Monday.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court had issued directions on December 26, instructing the state government to relocate the DGP and the Kangra SP to prevent any potential influence on the investigation into a complaint by businessman Nishant Sharma. The complaint pertained to allegations of extortion and threats to Sharma’s life.
