Rewa gets new police chief

The district has a new police chief. IPS officer Gurukaran Singh officially took over as the Superintendent of Police (SP) for Rewa on Wednesday. Soon after assuming charge, he met with his predecessor, Shailendra Singh Chauhan, for a customary briefing on the district's law and order situation and key policing issues.

A returning officer

Gurukaran Singh, a 2014-batch IPS officer originally from Punjab, is no stranger to the region. "I am returning to Rewa after 11 years," he told reporters. Earlier, he served here as a trainee IPS officer and a station house officer (SHO). That experience, he noted, gives him a crucial ground-level perspective of the district’s unique challenges.

Focus on crime control

Speaking after taking charge, Singh was clear about his immediate priorities. Maintaining better law and order and ensuring effective control over crime will be his primary focus. He did not offer specific operational details but stated that a thorough review of the current situation would be conducted in the coming days.

The outgoing SP's warning

Meanwhile, outgoing SP Shailendra Singh Chauhan, who has been promoted to the rank of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) and posted to Bhopal, used his farewell interaction with the media to highlight a persistent problem. Despite Rewa being a divisional headquarters, he said, a shortage of police personnel remains a major hurdle.

“The strength we have is simply not enough for a city of this size and importance,” Chauhan said. He suggested that new recruits from upcoming batches should be posted to Rewa on priority to strengthen the overall system.

Traffic troubles remain

Chauhan also admitted that the city's traffic management continues to be a perennial challenge. According to him, fixing it requires more than just enforcement. “We need better engineering, a clear road map, serious planning, and improved infrastructure,” he explained, passing on the recommendation to his successor.

The former SP credited his team for the positive results in crime control during his tenure. He thanked Rewa’s residents, stating that his experience here would serve as a guide for his future responsibilities in Bhopal. For the new SP, the road ahead involves balancing routine policing with these systemic gaps.