Former Director General of Police (DGP) of Punjab Kanwar Pal Singh Gill passed away on Friday in Delhi’s Sir Ganga Ram Hospital after sudden cardiac arrest due to cardiac arrhythmia. He was 82 years old.
Gill had been suffering from end stage kidney failure and significant ischemic heart disease. Doctors said that he had recovering from Peritonitis.
He breathed his last at 2:55 pm at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital.
The former DGP of Punjab and Assam was admitted to the hospital on May 18 under the care of Dr DS Rana, head of the department of nephrology.
“He was suffering from end stage kidney failure and significant ischemic heart disease. Gill had been recovering from peritonitis but died of a sudden cardiac arrest caused by cardiac arrhythmia,” Dr Rana said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his deep condolence over the demise of Gill, saying that he will be remembered for his service to the nation in the fields of policing and security.
Pained by Gill's passing away, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh also expressed his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family.
Retired from the Indian Police Service in 1995, KPS Gill, popularly known as the "Lion of Punjab" served twice as Punjab DGP and is credited with having brought Punjab insurgency under control with his no-nonsense way of functioning.
Gill was also president of the Institute for Conflict Management and president of the Indian Hockey Federation (IHF).
After the allegations of corruption, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) suspended the IHF indefinitely on April 28, 2008.
The IPS association mourned his death. “We deeply mourn the sad demise of iconic IPS officer, the legendary KPS Gill. His work in defeating Punjab militancy will always inspire us.”
In former prime minister Indira Gandhi's regime, Gill commanded Operation Black Thunder to flush out militants hiding in the Golden Temple in 1998.
Apart from his contribution in Punjab, he also worked for the Chhattisgarh Government as a security adviser to help control Naxal activities in 2006.
