Punjab Govt Transfers 29 Police Officers Ahead of Municipal Polls; IPS Officer Anubhav Jain Posted to Ludhiana
In a major administrative reshuffle ahead of the upcoming municipal corporation and municipal council elections, the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has transferred 29 police officers, including one Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and 28 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DSPs) and Punjab Police Service (PPS) officers, across key districts and specialised policing units.
The transfer orders, issued on May 11, 2026, are being viewed as part of the Punjab government’s broader strategy to strengthen election preparedness, improve field-level policing, and ensure tighter law-and-order management during the forthcoming local body polls.
The reshuffle spans multiple districts and specialised units, including the Intelligence Wing, Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Punjab Armed Police (PAP), and Punjab Bureau of Investigation (PBI). Officials stated that all transferred officers have been directed to assume charge of their new postings immediately.
IPS Officer Anubhav Jain Posted to Ludhiana
Among the officers transferred, the most prominent name is that of IPS officer Anubhav Jain, a 2020-batch officer currently serving as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), Sub Division East, Amritsar.
Under the latest order, Jain has been transferred to Ludhiana as ASP, Sub Division Industrial Area-B. The posting is considered strategically significant because Ludhiana is Punjab’s largest industrial and commercial city and remains one of the state’s most sensitive urban policing zones.
The Industrial Area-B division handles a mix of industrial security, urban law-and-order responsibilities, commercial policing, and crime management, making the assignment an important operational role for a young IPS officer.
Large-Scale Transfers Across Key Police Wings
In addition to the IPS-level transfer, 28 DSP and PPS officers have been reassigned to various districts and specialised wings as part of the state’s election-time administrative adjustments.
Among the major appointments:
Ravinder Singh has been posted as ACP SD East, Amritsar
Satwinder Singh becomes DSP SD Mehal Kalan, Barnala
Jaspal Singh has been appointed DSP SD Malout, Sri Muktsar Sahib
Sanjiv Singla takes charge as DSP SD City-1, Patiala
Rahul Kaushal has been posted as DSP PBI NDPS-cum-Narcotics, Moga
Dev Dutt joins the Intelligence Wing, Punjab
Prabhjot Kaur has been posted to the 13th Battalion PAP, Chandigarh, attached with ANTF Punjab
Several officers have also been assigned to operational districts such as Sangrur, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Bathinda, Jalandhar, Khanna, and Malerkotla.
Focus on Anti-Narcotics and Intelligence Operations
A notable aspect of the reshuffle is the significant number of postings to anti-narcotics and intelligence-related assignments.
Punjab has been intensifying its crackdown on drug trafficking and organised crime networks, particularly in border and sensitive districts. As part of this strategy, multiple officers have been deployed to the Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), Intelligence Wing, and narcotics investigation units.
Officials believe these transfers will strengthen coordination between district police units and specialised agencies dealing with narcotics enforcement, intelligence gathering, and organised crime investigations.
Election Preparedness Behind the Reshuffle
The reshuffle comes at a politically important time as Punjab prepares for municipal corporation and municipal council elections across several urban centres.
Such transfers are commonly carried out before elections to ensure neutrality in policing, improve administrative efficiency, and strengthen law-and-order management during campaigning and polling.
Senior officials indicated that the deployment of experienced officers to urban, border, and sensitive districts is intended to maintain public confidence and ensure smooth conduct of the electoral process.
Strengthening Field Administration
The latest reshuffle reflects the Punjab government’s continuing focus on strengthening policing at both district and specialised-unit levels. By repositioning officers across intelligence, narcotics enforcement, and field policing assignments, the government aims to improve operational responsiveness and reinforce internal security mechanisms across the state.
Officials said the transferred officers are expected to take charge immediately and begin preparations related to election security, public order management, and anti-crime operations in their respective jurisdictions.
