Batala sees six SSPs in 5 years
Ravi Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service
Batala, January 4
Instability continues to grip the rank and file of the Batala police district following the government’s unwritten policy of changing police chiefs at the drop of a hat.
When Gaurav Toora joined as the SSP on Saturday, he became the sixth chief in the past five years.
He replaced Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar, whose tenure lasted barely 45 days. Bhullar’s predecessor Ashwani Kapur, too, had a short term lasting less than two months. There are four ruling party MLAs, including two Cabinet ministers, who have an interest in the affairs of the Police Department. They are ministers Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa (Dera Baba Nanak) and Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa (Fatehgarh Churian), and legislators Fateh Jung Bajwa (Qadian) and Balwinder Laddi (Sri Hargobindpur).
At one time, Batala ex-MLA Ashwani Sekhri, too, had been given unbridled powers. “Batala is a perfect case of too many cooks spoiling the broth. It should actually be run from a single command and without interference,” said a former SSP. Last week’s bank robbery at Bahadur Hussian proved to be decisive for Bhullar. Heads were bound to roll and the hammer fell on him. Officers say every time there is a spurt in crime, instead of backing the incumbent officers, the political class brings in replacements loyal to it.
“With an officer of the SSP rank being reduced to a lame duck, lower-level officials rarely obey orders of seniors. They know if things go awry, they fall back on politicians,” said a former police chief.
Short tenure
- Gaurav Toora replaced Mukhwinder Singh Bhullar as the Batala Senior Superintendent of Police on Saturday
- Bhullar’s tenure lasted barely 45 days; his predecessor Ashwani Kapur, too, had a short term lasting less than two months
