Punjab government appoints mountaineer, former Indian Army solider as DSP in police

As special cases, the Punjab Cabinet led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday, January 9, approved the appointment of mountaineer Fateh Singh Brar and former Indian Army soldier Major Sumer Singh as DSPs in Punjab Police.

Brar, one of the youngest mountaineers in the country, had scaled Mount Everest at the age of 16 on May 21, 2013, while Major Sumer Singh was involved in a number of cross border operations and was instrumental in eliminating terrorists in cross border surgical operations conducted by the 9 PARA Special Force.

Brar’s appointment as Deputy Superintendent of Police would go a long way in encouraging adventurous sports in the State, besides felicitating and providing better opportunities to outstanding achievers in their respective field of sports, the Cabinet felt.

In the case of Major Sumer, the Cabinet decided to relax the Punjab Police Services Rules, 1959 to enable his direct recruitment as DSP. In recognition of his outstanding services in the Indian Army, the Punjab Police department had desired to utilise his services, especially amid efforts by terrorists to revive militancy in the state.

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Having an expert for security training

The department felt the need to recruit persons who possess in-depth knowledge and experience of combating terrorism, intelligence gathering, building intervention and hostage rescue operations, etc. Besides this, the services of such meritorious officers are also required for the purpose of imparting training to the Punjab Police personnel of different ranks, in order to make them proficient in conducting such operations.

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Who's Major Sumer Singh?

Notably, Major Sumer Singh, who was posted with the elite 9 PARA Special Forces Regiment and participated in many anti-terrorist operations, possessed good experience of combating terrorism for more than eight years in Jammu & Kashmir. He had been awarded the Sena Medal (Gallantry) by the President of India in 2017 for his operational capabilities. He had also performed well in his courses and attained instructor gradings in most of the courses, including the ‘Commando Course’ of the Indian Army.

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Double promotion

Last year Captain Amarinder Singh has given a double promotion to a Kargil War veteran who was manning traffic at a busy intersection in Punjab. Vir Chakra awardee Satpal Singh was given a double promotion by the Punjab government after news reports showed him manning traffic on a busy intersection in Punjab.

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