Senior IPS officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu, who was on a six month’s study leave to pursue his fellowship programme in University of Virginia, US, has reportedly returned and will once again take charge as the chief of Punjab’s anti-drug Special Task Force (STF).
As per Punjab government order dated June 30 (the copy of which is in possession of the TrueScoop), Sidhu has been posted as ADGP STF, relieving 1994-batch IPS officer B Chandra Sekhar from the additional charge assigned to him. Sekhar was given the additional charge of heading the STF on December 12, 2020, during the “tenure of study/earner leave of the officer (Harpreet Sidhu)”.
Senior IPS officer Harpreet Singh Sidhu in 2019, was given back the charge of anti-drug Special Task Force (STF) chief, nearly a year after he was removed from the post following reports of a tussle between him and the then DGP.
After coming to power in 2017, CM Captain Amarinder Singh had set up the STF to combat drug menace in the state. He had especially brought Harpreet Sidhu, who was at that time on central deputation in the Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh, to head the STF.
IPS Harpreet Sidhu has been instrumental in busting various drug hauls in the past few years and wiping out drug peddlers from the state. A big haul of nearly 200 kg of heroin, valued at around Rs 1,200 crore, from a house in Punjab's Sultanwind village near Amritsar, was seized by the STF led by Harpreet Singh Sidhu, is till date one of biggest recoveries in Punjab.
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He is now again all set to head the STF at a time when Punjab is heading for Assembly elections early next year and the state government is reeling under pressure from Congress High Command and opposition to act against drug mafia.