Maninder Singh is a 2019-batch IPS officer who had a distinguished early career in Punjab. Before his controversial tenure as SSP of Amritsar Rural, he served as Assistant Commissioner of Police in the Amritsar Police Commissionerate, Superintendent of Police in Tarn Taran district, and also worked as Assistant to the Governor of Punjab. He assumed charge as SSP of Amritsar Rural in February 2025, replacing Charanjit Singh, and was seen as a young officer willing to take aggressive action against criminal elements.
During his nine-month tenure as Amritsar Rural SSP, Maninder Singh became known for leading an aggressive campaign against organized crime. His department oversaw at least 11 encounters with criminals between March and October 2025, resulting in the death of one person and injuries to 12 others. These encounters targeted various criminal elements including drug smugglers, weapon recovery operations, and associates of gangsters. Notable incidents included shootouts with figures like Jagtar Singh, Bishemberjit Singh, Germanjit Singh, Tarsem Singh, Akashdeep Singh, Harpreet Singh, Soni Singh, Gurpreet Singh, Karan Singh, Sandeep and Hari Kumar, and two associates of jailed gangster Jaggu Bhagwanpuria. Six of these encounters took place during weapon recovery operations.
However, on November 15, 2025, the Punjab government took the dramatic step of suspending Maninder Singh. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann issued the suspension order, citing his alleged failure to take strict action against gangsters despite the numerous encounters. The suspension came as a surprise to many, as Singh had developed a reputation as an officer who was tough on criminals. The decision appeared to reflect the government’s concern that while tactical operations were being conducted, the broader gangster network in Amritsar Rural district was not being effectively dismantled.
The reasons for his suspension were multifaceted. Reports indicated there were delays in key investigations and inadequate action against organized crime networks, with intelligence inputs suggesting laxity in preventing gang-related operations. Despite the 12 encounters Singh had led, gangster-related incidents continued to plague the district. A particularly significant incident occurred on September 12, when an Ajnala-based doctor was shot inside his hospital after receiving threats from gangster Jeewan Fauji, who was operating from abroad. This incident highlighted the inability of local police to prevent such attacks despite the aggressive policing approach.
The suspension occurred during a politically sensitive period. During campaigning for the Tarn Taran bypoll, AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal had publicly vowed to rid Punjab of gangsters and warned them to leave the state within a week. The government was under significant pressure from opposition parties and the public over deteriorating law and order conditions, including extortion attempts, firing incidents, and gang-related violence. The suspension of Singh appeared to be the government’s attempt to demonstrate accountability and show it was taking concrete action against those perceived as not doing enough to combat organized crime.
Upon taking charge as SSP, Singh had inherited a complex and challenging security situation. He faced major challenges including drone activities being used to smuggle weapons and drugs across the border, and a recent spurt in blasts at police establishments. These attacks were being orchestrated by ISI-sponsored foreign-based gangsters who had evolved into terrorists, including notorious figures like Happy Passia, Lakhbir Singh Landa Harike, Mann Ghanshampuria, Jeewan Fauji, and Pakistan-based Harwinder Singh Rinda. These criminal networks operated with sophisticated coordination between operatives inside Punjab and handlers operating from abroad, making them particularly difficult to combat.
The suspension also came against the backdrop of broader concerns about police conduct in Punjab. The Aam Aadmi Party government had previously criticized what it called the “trigger-happy” approach of Punjab Police, where shootouts often resulted in deaths and injuries. Critics argued that while encounters might eliminate individual criminals, they didn’t address the systemic issues that allowed gangster networks to flourish, including political patronage, cross-border weapons smuggling, and the narcotics trade that funded these operations.
The case of Maninder Singh reflects the difficult balance law enforcement officers must strike in Punjab. On one hand, they face pressure to take aggressive action against well-armed and dangerous criminal networks. On the other hand, they must ensure these actions translate into meaningful disruption of organized crime rather than just isolated tactical successes. Singh’s suspension, despite leading numerous encounters, suggests that the government believed his approach was not achieving the strategic objective of dismantling gangster networks in Amritsar Rural, even if it was producing short-term tactical results.