Punjab government transfers Amritsar police chief Bhullar

The Punjab government has transferred Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, a move that has ignited a political controversy over its timing following his recent press conference detailing a busted terror plot. Bhullar was removed from his post on Friday, August 7, 2026, and directed to report to the office of the Director General of Police in Chandigarh until further orders. Deputy Inspector General of Police Harmanbir Singh, who heads the Border Range in Amritsar, has been given additional charge as the city's Police Commissioner.

The transfer came days after Bhullar held a press conference on August 4, announcing that the Amritsar police had busted two cross-border terror modules allegedly backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Officials said nine individuals, including four juveniles, were arrested. Three illegal pistols, nine cartridges, and four petrol-bottle bombs were recovered. During the briefing, Bhullar stated that some of the arrested accused had conducted reconnaissance at Delhi's Jantar Mantar protest site and had planned to target protesters there with petrol bombs.

The Punjab government subsequently issued a clarification,...