Chandigarh, Dec. 15 -- The Nayab Singh Saini government in Haryana on Sunday divested 1990-batch IPS officer, Shatrujeet Kapur of the charge of director general of police (DGP). The orders to divest the 1990-batch officer of the charge of the head of the police force were issued by the Home department to create a vacancy since the state government has decided to appoint a new DGP from January 1, 2026, and initiated the process by sending a proposal containing the record of five IPS officers to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Shatrujeet Kapur was asked to proceed on leave by the state government in October amid mounting pressure for initiating action against him in wake of suicide by fellow IPS officer Y Puran Kumar. On October 14, Kapur proceeded on leave and 1992-batch IPS officer OP Singh was given the additional charge of the state DGP. As per the December 14 orders issued by additional chief secretary, Sumita Misra, Kapur stands divested of the charge of DGP but will continue to hold the charge of chairman, Haryana Police Housing Corporation. OP Singh who was holding the additional charge of DGP during Kapur's leave period, has now been appointed as the officiating DGP till further orders. Kapur, who was appointed as DGP on August 16, 2023, for a minimum tenure of two years as per the landmark apex court judgement in Prakash Singh case, has completed his two-year tenure. He could have continued as DGP till his retirement in October 2026. With OP Singh due to retire from service on December 31, the state government had recently initiated the process to appoint the next DGP by sending a proposal to the UPSC containing the names of five IPS officers for convening the meeting of the empanelment committee headed by the UPSC chairman or member. The Commission prepares a panel of three IPS officers and sends it to the state government for selecting the DGP. However, UPSC returned Haryana's proposal with certain observations. The Commission in a communication to the state government observed that as per the Supreme Court judgement on police reforms the state government is required to send its proposal in anticipation of the vacancy to the Commission. The UPSC observed that since Shatrujeet Kapur was merely on leave and can join back as state DGP anytime, there would be no vacancy after the retirement of OP Singh. The five IPS officers whose records will be sent to the UPSC will include Shatrujeet Kapur also since he has more than 10 months of service. The four other IPS officers who are holding the post of DGP in the state cadre in level-16 of the pay matrix and whose names will be sent to the UPSC are Sanjeev Kumar Jain (1991 batch), Ajay Singhal (1992 batch), Alok Mittal and Arshinder Chawla (both of 1993 batch). While the state government will send Kapur's name in proposal to the UPSC, there is a likelihood that the UPSC may not select him in panel of three officers. In 2021, the state government while sending a proposal to the UPSC for empanelment of officers for appointment as DGP had included the name of incumbent DGP, Manoj Yadava, as he had four years of service. However, since Yadava had sought repatriation to the Intelligence Bureau and did not give his consent for being considered for the job of head of police force, the UPSC did not include his name in the panel of three officers. Kapur though has not expressed his unwillingness....