The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) appointed former Punjab’s Senior IPS Officer, Dinkar Gupta as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Image source: news.abplive.com
Dinkar Gupta, who was Punjab’s senior IPS Officer, was from the 1987-batch IPS officer of the Chhattisgarh cadre. Last year, he was promoted from the Director-General of Police (DGP) in Punjab, by the then-Congress Government led by Charanjit Singh Channi in October and was posted as Chairman of the Punjab Police Housing Corporation (PPHC). Gupta had then decided to go on a month’s leave after Channi took over as Chief Minister and the state government gave the charge to 1988-batch officer Iqbal Preet Singh Sahota.
The Central Government or the ACC on Thursday issued an order appointing him as the new Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He can also be called as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau. As per the DoPT has ordered, Das has been appointed to the post till November 30, 2024, that is the date of his superannuation or the date of his retirement.
Gupta’s wife who was also a 1987-batch IPS officer, Vinni Mahajan also served as chief secretary of Punjab in the Congress government headed by Captain Amarinder Singh from June 2020 to September 2021. She was also replaced by her 1990-batch IAS officer Anirudh Tewari as Chief Secretary after Channi took over as chief minister. Later Mahajan was appointed as secretary of drinking water and sanitation department in the central government on December 27 last year.
Journey from Punjab’s senior IPS Officer to the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Having a Master’s degree in police administration, Gupta held the position of Director General of Punjab Police in 2019 and served at the post for two years and seven months. He was then shifted as Chairman of Punjab Police Housing Board as he had sought permission for a central deputation.
Gupta was then posted as DGP (Intelligence), a role in which he handled Punjab State Intelligence Wing, State Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and Organised Crime Control Unit (OCCU). It was during his tenure that the Punjab police busted a number of terror modules and solved the cases of targeted killings. Many notorious gangsters were also eliminated.
Gupta was replaced as the police chief soon after Capt Amarinder Singh was unseated in a coup in September last year. At present, he was posted as the chief of the Punjab Police Housing Corporation.
Known as a thinking man’s cop with a keen insight into terror operations from across the border, Gupta was a Visiting Professor (2000-01) at the George Washington University, Washington DC and American University, where he designed a course titled ‘Governments under Siege: Understanding Terrorism and Terrorists’ in January-May 2001.
An experienced and distinguished officer, Gupta earlier had an eight-year stint on central deputation from June 2004 to July 2012 during which he held sensitive assignments including as the head of the Intelligence Bureau unit which looked after the security of VVIPs.
Gupta was decorated with two police gallantry medals in 1992 and 1994. He was also decorated with the Police Medal for Meritorious Services by the President and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2010).
In 1999, Gupta was awarded the British Chevening Gurukul Scholarship by the British Council at London School of Economics, London.
Gupta was the only officer from Punjab to be empanelled for appointment to Additional Director General level post at the Centre in 2018. He was on central deputation with the MHA for eight years, from June 2004 to July 2012. During this period, he was also assigned as head of the Dignitary Protection Division of the MHA.
In Punjab, he served as district police chief of Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur for more than seven years during the peak of terrorism in Punjab. He has also served as DIG (Jalandhar Range), DIG (Ludhiana Range), DIG (Counter-Intelligence), Punjab and DIG (Intelligence), Punjab till 2004.
Among his other past assignments in the state were ADGP Administration & Community Policing (2015-17), ADGP Provisioning & Modernization (2014-2015), ADGP Law & Order (2012-2015), ADGP Security (2012-2015), ADGP Traffic (2013-2014).
Gupta was decorated with the Police Medal for Gallantry (1992) and Bar to Police Medal for Gallantry (1994) for display of exceptional courage, conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty of a high order. He was also decorated with the Police Medal for Meritorious Services by the President and the President’s Police Medal for Distinguished Service (2010).
Also in another order, Swagat Das, an IPS officer of 1987-batch and at present posted as Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau, was appointed Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry, a post that had fallen vacant on June 14 last after V.S.K Kamudi was appointed as Secretary (Security).
According to the order, Das, who is a Chhattisgarh cadre, will continue on the post till the date of his retirement on November 30, 2024, or any order before that.
