Viresh Kumar Bhawra is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer who is a 1987-batch pass out of the Punjab cadre. On 8 January 2022, he was appointed as the Director General of Police, Punjab.
Wiki/Biography
Viresh Kumar Bhawra was born in Chandigarh, India. He did his schooling at Govt. Senior Secondary School, Bayana, Rajasthan. He pursued B.Sc. in Electrical Engineering (1980-1985) from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra. While he was pursuing B.Sc. Electrical Engineering from 1980 to 1985, he volunteered in National Service Scheme (NSS). He also topped in the university during his graduation. From 1996 to 1999, he did a Bachelor of Laws from Panjab University, Chandigarh. He then pursued a Master of Human Rights (2002-2004) from Pondicherry University, Puducherry, followed by a Master of Public Administration (2007-2008) from Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. From 2012 to 2013, he pursued Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (Trafficking in Persons) from the University of Minnesota Law School, Minnesota, US. He has also pursued a Master of Laws (2011-2015) from Kurukshetra University, Haryana.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 6″
Eye Colour: Brown
Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper
Family
He is married to Anjali Bhawra, who is an IAS officer of the Punjab cadre. As of 2022, she is appointed as the secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangyan) in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The couple has a son named Sidharth Bhawra.
IPS Viresh Kumar Bhawra with his wife and son
Career
He started working at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, New Delhi, as an engineer and system analyst-cum-programmer, from 1985 to 1987. He was appointed by the Indian Police Service as the Additional Director General of Police, Punjab (Chandigarh area) in 1987. IPS Bhawra was designated in Punjab Police, Chandigarh, as the Director General of Police, Information Technology & Telecom, Provisioning & Modernisation in July 2017. On 8 January 2022, he replaced IPS Siddharth Chattopadhyaya as the Director General of Police of Punjab. He became the third Director General of Police of Punjab to be appointed within a span of three months.
On his appointment as the DGP of Punjab, he said,
My focus will be on eradicating the drug menace and terrorism from the state. People-centric policing and public service delivery are among my top priorities. Punjab Police will make optimum use of technology for carrying out investigations of various crimes.”
On the appointment of IPS Viresh, the Punjab Governor, Banwarilal Purohit, said,
The empanelment committee recommended three officers for the top post, Bhawra, former state police chief Dinkar Gupta, and IPS officer Prabodh Kumar.”
On his appointment, an official order was released, which reads,
Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi has sent minutes of the meeting of the Empanelment Committee. The Committee has recommended a panel consisting of the names of the following officers as suitable for appointment to the post of DGP (HoPF), Punjab:- I. Dinkar Gupta 2. Viresh Kumar Bhawra 3. Prabodh Kumar.”
It further reads,
On the consideration of the panel received from the Union Public Service Commission, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to appoint Viresh Kumar Bhawra, IPS as Director General of Police, Punjab (Head of Police Force). His term shall be for a minimum period of two years from the date of assumption of office in pursuance of the orders of Hon’ble Supreme Court of India dated 03.07.2018.”
Facts/Trivia
- In 2015, IPS Viresh received President’s Police Medal for their distinguished service.
- He is fluent in various languages such as English, Hindi, Punjabi, Assamese, and French.
- As per his Facebook account, his favourite quote is,
Give to the world the best you have and the best will come back to you.”
- In his leisure time, he loves to visit different places with his family and friends.
IPS Viresh Kumar Bhawra during a trip
- On 8 January 2022, he replaces IPS Siddharth Chattopadhyaya after Siddharth was accused of breaching the security of PM Narendra Modi while he was on a Punjab visit on 5 January 2022. Chattopadhyay and 13 other officials were sent show-cause notice by the Ministry of Home Affairs under All India Service (Discipline) rules for this act.