Viresh Kumar Bhawra is a 1987-batch Indian Police Service officer of the Punjab cadre.While he was studying at the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, he joined National Service Scheme (NSS) as a volunteer. He also topped the university in B.Sc. Electrical Engineering (1980-1985).In 1985, he started working as an engineer and system analyst-cum-programmer at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, New Delhi. He worked there for almost two years.He was appointed as the Additional Director General of Police, Punjab (Chandigarh area), by the Government of Punjab in 1987.IPS Viresh and Inspector General Ishwar Chander received Presidents Police Medal for distinguished service on Republic Day in 2015. [2]Hindustan Times.Viresh Kumar was appointed as the Director General of Police, Information Technology & Telecom, Provisioning & Modernisation, Punjab Police, Chandigarh, in July 2017.On 8 January 2022, he was appointed as the third Director General of Police in Punjab within a span of three months. He was appointed for two years from the date of his appointment. In an official order, the Punjab Governor, Banwarilal Purohit, said, The empanelment committee recommended three officers for the top post, Bhawra, former state police chief Dinkar Gupta, and IPS officer Prabodh Kumar..The official order of his appointment (as the DGP Punjab, 2022) reads, Union Public Service Commission, New Delhi has sent minutes of the meeting of the Empanelment Committee. The Committee has recommended a panel consisting of the names of the following officers as suitable for appointment to the post of DGP (HoPF), Punjab:- I. Dinkar Gupta 2. Viresh Kumar Bhawra 3. Prabodh Kumar. It further reads, On the consideration of the panel received from the Union Public Service Commission, the Governor of Punjab is pleased to appoint Viresh Kumar Bhawra, IPS as Director General of Police, Punjab (Head of Police Force). His term shall be for a minimum period of two years from the date of assumption of office in pursuance of the orders of Honble Supreme Court of India dated 03.07.2018..IPS Viresh replaced IPS Siddharth Chattopadhyaya who was criticised for breaching the security of PM Narendra Modi during his visit to Punjab on 5 January 2022. Siddharth Chattopadhyay was among one of the 13 officials who were sent show-cause notice by the Ministry of Home Affairs under All India Service (Discipline) rules for breaching the security of PM.On being appointed as the DGP of Punjab, IPS Bhawra said, My focus will be on eradicating the drug menace and terrorism from the state. People-centric policing and public service delivery are among my top priorities. Punjab Police will make optimum use of technology for carrying out investigations of various crimes..