Himachal Vigilance Chief Absent For Days, State Puts Second Officer In Charge

Frequent leaves taken by IPS officer Aditi Singh over the past three months has led the Himachal Pradesh government to hand over the additional charge of SP Vigilance, to her deputy Brahm Das Bhatia -- a move aimed at restoring administrative continuity.

The state government issued immediate orders after observing that the functioning of the Vigilance office was being adversely affected due to repeated absences. The  directive issued by the state police chief points out that Aditi Singh, IPS and SP Vigilance Dharamshala, remained on leave several times during the last three months, impacting routine office work.

The order details that she availed a total of 24 days of leave in this period - including 13 days of Earned Leave (EL), 6 days of Casual Leave (CL), and 5 days of Sick Leave (SL). In addition, she was away from headquarters in December 2025 to attend a Mid-Career Interaction Programme.

Citing the need to ensure smooth functioning and prevent disruption in sensitive vigilance matters, the government has assigned the additional charge to Brahm Das Bhatia. The arrangement will remain in force during her leave or absence from headquarters.

Importantly, the order clarifies that Bhatia's role will not be confined only to periods of absence. He will work in coordination with Aditi Singh to ensure there is no administrative vacuum or interruption in the functioning of the Northern Range Vigilance office.

The administrative directive has come into effect immediately, underscoring the government's concern over maintaining operational continuity in the anti-corruption bureau.

Aditi Singh, a 2021-batch IPS officer originally from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, secured the 679th rank in the UPSC examination in her first attempt during the COVID period. She previously served as Additional SP in Dharamshala and was posted in Paonta Sahib in Sirmaur district.