CHANDIGARH: The Central Government has appointed Harpreet Singh Sidhu, ADGP of Punjab STF and IPS officer of 1992 batch, as Additional Director General (ADG) of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) for four years. He has already worked on deputation.
Sidhu heads Punjab’s anti-drugs special task force (STF) and the prisons department as special director-general of police. He was specially repatriated to Punjab to head the STF by former CM Capt Amarinder Singh in 2017.
In the run up to the polls, Amarinder, who went on to become the CM, had vowed to crack down on drugs and combat the menace in four weeks.
Despite his anti-drug initiatives, Sidhu had a tumultuous stint during Amarinder led government. He was removed as STF chief in September 2018 and posted as special principal secretary to the CM amid reports of friction between him and then DGP Suresh Arora. Sidhu was again posted back as STF chief in July 2019.
During his posting in CRPF, he carried out many successful operations against Naxalites in Chhattisgarh. In the year 2017, Captain Sarkar brought him back and made him the head of the task force formed against drugs. During this, he disclosed many cases of drug smuggling.
After the formation of the AAP government, he had demanded to be sent to the Center on deputation. Mann Government had sent his file to the Centre. Now the central government has entrusted them with important responsibility by clearing the file. He will remain in this position for four years. The Mann government has also prepared to relieve him. He has been a batchmate of the current DGP of Punjab, Gaurav Yadav. At present, he has the additional responsibility of ADGP STF as well as ADGP Jail.