A security appraisal by Punjab police has thrown up an embarrassing fact: over 200 trained sleuths are working as chefs and orderlies at the houses of retired police officers instead of doing their primary duty of gathering intelligence for the force.

Orders have now been issued to repatriate at least 50 of them to the intelligence wing of the police force where they were originally meant to be.

These CID sleuths have been deployed at the houses of retired police personnel including the ex-Super Cop K P S Gill as part of the security paraphernalia being provided to these officers.

Sources said the police department has now drawn up a list of 50 CID sleuths to be repatriated who had been deployed with the retired officers from the rank of deputy superintendent of police to the director general of police and were doing duties in their kitchens.

The appraisal of the security and intelligence apparatus of the state police has come in the wake of recent blasts at a cinema hall in Ludhiana which killed seven persons and injured 30 others. The incident brought to the fore gaping holes in the state's intelligence network which was found wanting.

 However, the fresh order to get the CID personnel out of the kitchens of retired officers to the more important task of collecting intelligence has spared those sleuths  engaged in the same pursuits at the houses of serving IPS officers in the state. These include the suspended director general of police S S Virk and vigilance bureau chief S S Saini. Sources say there are currently over 200 personnel deployed on odd jobs.