Chandigarh: In a significant administrative development, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Tuesday appointed senior Indian Police Service officer Dr Sagar Preet Hooda (IPS:1997:AGMUT) as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Chandigarh. Hooda, who is currently serving as Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Division) in Delhi Police, will take charge with immediate effect, as per a formal ministry order.
The appointment fills a key leadership vacuum in Chandigarh’s police hierarchy and comes amid recent tensions and reshuffles in the Union Territory’s top police ranks.
Hooda’s Appointment: Strategic and Timely
The Union Home Ministry’s order reads:
“Dr Sagar Preet Hooda, a 1997-batch AGMUT-cadre Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, is hereby transferred from Delhi to Chandigarh and posted as DGP with immediate effect until further orders.”
He will succeed Pushpendra Kumar (IPS:2006:AGMUT), who had been serving as the acting DGP of Chandigarh since June 20, 2025, following a series of temporary appointments that began with the transfer of DGP Surendra Singh Yadav to the Border Security Force (BSF) in April.
A Distinguished Career in Policing and Public Policy
Dr Sagar Preet Hooda brings extensive experience and a strong academic background to the role:
Special Commissioner of Police (Intelligence Division), Delhi (since January 2024)
Held additional charges:
- Perception Management & Media Cell Division
- Special Police Unit for Women and Children (SPUWAC)
- Special Police Unit for North-Eastern Region (SPUNER)
- Special Commissioner (Law & Order): Jan 2022 – Jan 2024
Joint Commissioner of Police, Delhi: Feb 2021 – Feb 2022
An accomplished academic, Dr Hooda is an Edward S. Mason Fellow from Harvard University, where he earned his Master’s in Public Policy Analysis (2014–2015). He also holds:
- A certificate in Public Finance from Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy (2012)
- Training in Leadership & Globalisation at the London School of Economics (2006)
- A PhD in Sociology and MA in Sociology from Panjab University, Chandigarh
Background: Multiple Interim Appointments in UT Police
Before Pushpendra Kumar’s tenure as acting DGP, IG Rajkumar Singh had briefly held the post following the transfer of Surendra Singh Yadav, who was sent on deputation to BSF. Yadav’s exit came against the backdrop of reported internal rifts among senior officers in the Chandigarh Police.
The appointment of Dr Hooda is expected to restore leadership stability, particularly as Chandigarh Police faces scrutiny over recent high-profile cases, including a SIT investigation into the alleged assault of Colonel Pushpinder Singh Bath by Punjab Police personnel.
Read Also: 5 IPS Officers Transferred Within Delhi Police, Dr. Sagar Preet Hooda Made Special Commissioner of Police
Expectations from the New DGP
With experience in intelligence, law & order, and public engagement, Hooda’s appointment signals a strategic approach to policing in the UT, which plays a unique role as the joint capital of Punjab and Haryana.
His arrival comes at a crucial time for Chandigarh Police, tasked with not only upholding law and order but also navigating complex inter-agency dynamics and heightened political attention on administrative efficiency.
