47 IPS officers transferred

The Gujarat government on Wednesday effected pre-election transfers and transferred 47 IPS officers. Those transferred include inspector-general, CID (crime) Geeta Johri, joint commissioner of police (crime branch) Ashish Bhatia, Surat police commissioner RMS Brar, and Rajkot police commissioner Sudhir Sinha.

The promotion of OP Mathur, SS Khandwawala and RMS Brar, to the rank of director-general (DG) of police, has already been announced. Interestingly, OP Mathur continues to be the commissioner of police, Ahmedabad, while Brar has been made the commandant-general of the home guard. Khandwawala is now the director of the anti-corruption bureau.

Three IPS officers, Johri, Bhatia, and Shivanand Jha, who are part of the supreme court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) that is re-examining several post-Godhra riot cases, were transferred. SIT investigating officers PL Maal and VV Choudhary have also been promoted.

Johri was promoted and transferred as the commissioner of police, Rajkot. Bhatia has been made IG (law and order), Gandhinagar, and Jha, who was IG (Surat range), is now the additional director-general, Surat range.

SP, Vadodara (rural) SK Gadhvi, SP, Patan JN Rajgor, and DySP, Junagadh IM Desai have been shunted to non-executive postings.