Indian Bureaucracy News, Shimla, March 25, 2026 | The Himachal Pradesh government has effected transfers and postings of four IPS officers, including senior IPS officers Zahur Haider Zaidi (1994 batch), who has been appointed as Inspector General of Police (IG), Police Training & Research Academy, Shimla.
Shri Zaidi’s posting comes nearly three months after the Punjab and Haryana High Court suspended his life sentence in the Kotkhai custodial death case. He had been convicted by a CBI court in Chandigarh on January 27, 2025, along with seven other police personnel, for the custodial death of Suraj, a suspect in the 2017 Gudiya rape and murder case. The High Court, while granting relief in December 2025, noted factors including the absence of clear motive and his non-presence at the police station at the time of the incident. Following this, Zaidi rejoined duty on March 11, 2026, and was awaiting posting.
The case traces back to July 2017, when a 16-year-old girl was raped and murdered in Kotkhai, Shimla, sparking widespread protests. During the investigation by a Special Investigation Team (SIT), Suraj, one of the accused, died in police custody, leading to a CBI probe. The agency later identified Anil Kumar alias Nillu as the main accused, who was later convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2021.
Alongside Zaidi’s posting, the state government has assigned new roles to three other IPS officers – Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi, Gurdev Sharma and Amit Yadav.
Detailed list of the officers with their present and new postings is given below.
- Shri S Zahur Haider Zaidi IPS (Himachal Pradesh 1994), presently awaiting posting, is appointed as Inspector General of Police – Police Academy Training & Research, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
- Shri Gurdev Chand Sharma IPS (Himachal Pradesh 2009), presently Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Traffic Tourist & Railways, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, with additional charge of DIG, Law & Order, Himachal Pradesh, is appointed as DIG – Law & Order, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
- Shri Sanjeev Kumar Gandhi IPS (Himachal Pradesh 2012), presently awaiting posting, is appointed as Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) – Traffic, Tourist & Railways, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh.
- Shri Amit Yadav IPS (Himachal, Pradesh 2019), presently awaiting posting, is appointed as Commandant – 2nd Indian Reserve Battalion, Sakoh, District Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, relieving Shri Ashok Ratan IPS of the additional charge.
Indian Bureaucracy News wishes all the officers the very best.