Major Police Reshuffle in Madhya Pradesh: 62 IPS Officers Transferred

State government moves 19 SPs across key districts; Singrauli and Seoni police chiefs shifted following recent criminal incidents and controversies.

In a significant administrative overhaul, the Madhya Pradesh government issued transfer orders for 62 IPS officers late Saturday night. The massive reshuffle, which follows a high-level meeting between Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav and DGP Kailash Makwana, impacts several high-ranking officials including Additional Director Generals (ADG), Deputy Inspector Generals (DIG), and Superintendents of Police (SP).

Crackdown on District Performance

The reshuffle appears to be a direct response to recent lapses in law and order. Singrauli SP Manish Khatri has been shunted to the Police Headquarters (PHQ) as an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) following a high-profile bank robbery that rocked the district. Similarly, Sunil Mehta, the SP of Seoni, has been removed from his post and reassigned as DCP Indore, a move linked by sources to the recent hawala scandal in the region.

The government has replaced police chiefs in 19 districts, including sensitive zones such as Bhind, Rewa, Sagar, Morena, and Chhatarpur. This move is seen as an attempt to infuse fresh leadership into districts that have recently faced policing challenges or administrative stagnancy.

Promotions and New Assignments

Several officers recently promoted to the rank of DIG have been moved out of their current SP roles to take up higher responsibilities. Shailendra Chauhan, formerly SP Rewa, has been appointed as the Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) for Bhopal. Meanwhile, Dhar SP Mayank Awasthi will now serve as DIG Narcotics in Indore.

The reshuffle also sees major changes at the ADG level. Ravi Kumar Gupta (ADG Rail) and Rajababu Singh (ADG Training) have essentially swapped roles. D.P. Gupta has been moved from Complaints/Human Rights to lead Community Policing, while Solomon Minz takes over the Complaints wing.

Key District Postings

Under the new orders, several experienced officers are moving into critical district roles:

• Rewa: Gurkaran Singh takes charge as the new SP.

• Sagar: Anurag Sujania has been posted as SP.

• Bhind: Suraj Verma moves from Datia to take over as SP.

• Murena: Dharmraj Meena is the new SP.

• Singrauli: Shiraz K.M. has been brought in from Hawk Force Balaghat to restore order following the recent bank heist.

The urban commissionerates of Bhopal and Indore also saw significant movement at the DCP level to balance internal administrative needs.

Filling the Gaps

While the list is exhaustive, some vacancies remain. The post of SP Burhanpur is currently open after Devendra Patidar was moved to Jhabua. Additionally, the position of IG Sagar remains vacant following the retirement of Himani Khanna. These gaps suggest that a supplementary list of transfers may be expected in the coming days to complete the administrative circuit.

In a related development on Sunday evening, the Chief Minister took further action in Guna, removing SP Ankit Soni following a hawala-related investigation. Soni has been attached to PHQ as an AIG.