Once hailed for his firm stand against corruption and institutional inefficiencies within Chandigarh Police, IPS officer Surendra Singh Yadav now finds himself reassigned from the top post of DGP Chandigarh to DIG, Naxal Operations, BSF Chhattisgarh amid legal challenges, internal unrest, and bureaucratic silence. His abrupt transfer and court defeat raise serious questions about the cost of institutional reform in India’s security apparatus.
The Reformer Who Shook the System
When Surendra Singh Yadav, a 1997-batch IPS officer from the AGMUT cadre, took charge as Director General of Police (DGP) Chandigarh in March 2024, few could have predicted the storm that would follow. Known for his tenure in the Economic Offences Wing in Delhi, Yadav arrived in Chandigarh with a reputation for uprightness and administrative discipline.
Within days, he executed a massive reshuffle of over 2,700 police personnel, breaking long-standing local power structures within the force. This unprecedented move raised eyebrows but was largely hailed as an attempt to rejuvenate a stagnating system.
Yadav made headlines again by conducting public grievance hearings at police stations—an unusual practice for someone of his rank. He was also unrelenting on corruption within the ranks, compulsorily retiring officers involved in drug trafficking and unethical conduct, and initiating cases against officers manipulating internal postings.
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But these reforms came at a cost. Sources suggest a growing sense of unrest and “mental pressure” among police personnel, leading to record numbers of voluntary retirement (VRS) applications during his tenure. Whispers of dissent turned into open defiance when a derogatory anonymous letter criticizing Yadav was circulated on social media, allegedly by his own subordinates.
In a rare move, Yadav ordered a covert investigation into the incident, which led to a formal FIR against three police personnel, though the case later faded into bureaucratic oblivion.
Midnight Transfer and Silent Exit
On April 1, 2024, Yadav’s position as DGP came to an abrupt end. The Ministry of Home Affairs issued a late-night transfer order, appointing him as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) at the BSF Headquarters in Delhi.
The swiftness of the move left many stunned. Yadav neither addressed his team nor hosted any farewell gathering. By dawn, he had moved out—his belongings packed into a truck, his post vacated without ceremony.
Insiders describe the transfer as more than routine reshuffling—it was political and disciplinary in tone. The new assignment placed him under a junior officer, an administrative slight that Yadav did not take lightly.
He approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and later the courts, challenging the transfer and the demotion in rank. But the judiciary refused to grant relief, upholding the Centre’s decision and effectively ending his fight for reinstatement.
From National Capital to Naxal Heartland
After briefly reporting to the BSF headquarters in Delhi, Yadav was sent to Rajasthan IPS Police Academy for orientation—a move typically reserved for officers transitioning to paramilitary operations. Soon after, he was posted to Chhattisgarh as DIG in charge of anti-Naxal operations, a role far removed from his previous high-profile administrative responsibilities.
Observers believe this is more than a reshuffle it reflects the system’s resistance to internal reformers. While Yadav was seen as a no-nonsense officer by the public, his internal decisions particularly those that disturbed long-standing “arrangements” in postings and promotions may have accelerated his fall from grace.