Photo Source: IPS Inderbir Singh's Facebook account
Pending Prosecution, Yet Central IG Empanelment: Questions arise over Inderbir Singh’s selection
Can an Officer Facing Pending Graft Prosecution Be Empanelled for a Central IG Post?
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi/Chandigarh, May 29, 2026: The Centre has empanelled Inderbir Singh for appointment to Inspector General (IG) or equivalent posts at the Centre, despite facing prosecution proceedings in alleged drug-linked corruption cases in Punjab.
The empanelment was cleared as part of the Centre’s latest exercise approving 68 IPS officers from the 2007 and 2008 batches for IG-level assignments in central organisations.
The development comes nearly two months after the Punjab Government granted prosecution sanction against Inderbir Singh in April 2026 in connection with two FIRs related to alleged bribery and corruption cases dating back to 2021 and 2022.
Currently posted at the Punjab Armed Police (PAP) headquarters in Jalandhar, the officer has been under investigation by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau over allegations linked to his tenure as DIG, Ferozepur.
According to the vigilance probe, one of the cases pertains to an NDPS matter registered by Bhikhiwind police in Tarn Taran on July 3, 2022, involving alleged recovery of opium and subsequent accusations that money was demanded to prevent the nomination of an accused in the case.
The Vigilance Bureau alleged that suspended DSP Lakhbir Singh Sandhu accepted a bribe from an accused in the drugs case and later claimed before investigators and a court that the money was allegedly handed over to Inderbir Singh.
Investigators also alleged recovery of ₹9.97 lakh connected to the case. In a separate corruption case, vigilance officials accused the officer and others of allegedly extorting money from a sub-inspector to avoid implicating him in a drugs case.
The prosecution sanction against the IPS officer was granted under Section 19-A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, according to vigilance officials.
Apart from the vigilance investigations, Inderbir Singh was also named in the inquiry conducted by the committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Indu Malhotra over the January 5, 2022 security lapse during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab.
The empanelment of Punjab cadre IPS officer Inderbir Singh for a Central IG-level post has raised important questions about the scrutiny mechanism followed during the selection process.
If criminal prosecution in corruption-related cases is still pending against an officer, was the matter examined before granting empanelment? Does the system lack an effective mechanism to verify the complete service and vigilance record of officers being considered for such sensitive appointments? Or was this a case of negligence, oversight, or omission during the empanelment process?
Until the concerned authorities clarify the circumstances under which the empanelment was approved, the questions surrounding the process are likely to persist.