Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla Transferred Amidst Assembly Elections, Uncertainty Looms Over Next Appointment

With the Maharashtra Assembly elections approaching, the Election Commission (EC) has transferred Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla, leaving a cloud of uncertainty over the next permanent appointee for the state’s top police position. In the interim, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, a 1989-batch IPS officer, will take on the DGP duties. However, no official confirmation has been given on whether this appointment is solely for the election period or if it indicates a more permanent shift in leadership.

In a directive to the Maharashtra government, the EC stipulated that the state’s seniormost police officer must take charge as DGP until a new appointment is made. Consequently, Phansalkar, who is due to retire in April 2025, has been selected to temporarily oversee the DGP post. The EC has also requested that the state submit a panel of three eligible officers by Tuesday, from which a new DGP can be appointed.

Phansalkar, the current senior-most officer, leads a list of top contenders, followed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) chief Sadanand Date, a 1990-batch IPS officer scheduled to retire in December 2026. Bipin Kumar Singh, another 1990-batch officer with retirement expected in October 2025, and Sanjay Kumar Verma, retiring in April 2028, are also potential candidates. Additionally, there is speculation that the Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau, Sanjeev Singhal from the 1992 IPS batch, may also be considered.

The fate of Shukla’s DGP position remains unclear. She was originally appointed with a two-year tenure, in line with the Supreme Court’s Prakash Singh case guidelines that suggest a fixed two-year term for state DGPs to minimize political influence. Shukla, initially due to retire in June 2024, was granted a term extension as DGP, which would have seen her in office until January 2026. However, her EC-mandated transfer may lead to an early retirement unless other arrangements are made.

A senior official noted, “Shukla’s future is uncertain now, especially with the Election Commission’s focus on the election period. The new government may ultimately decide her career’s trajectory and whether she will be reinstated or retire.”

In the meantime, the Maharashtra government’s next steps and the potential appointment of a new DGP will likely influence the course of the police department’s leadership and strategy in the lead-up to the elections. The outcome will also be a critical indicator of how the state enforces the Prakash Singh judgment’s protection against political interference, an issue that remains pivotal in maintaining stability within the police force.