ECI intervention: Sanjay Verma takes charge as new Maharashtra DGP replacing Rashmi Shukla

Mumbai | Senior IPS officer Sanjay Kumar Verma on Tuesday evening took over as the new Director General of Police of Maharashtra, a day after the incumbent DGP Rashmi Shukla was removed on an Election Commission of India (ECI) directive ahead of the assembly polls.

Earlier in the day, the state government, with the ECI's approval, appointed the 1990-batch IPS officer to the top post after selecting him from a panel of three names.

Hours later, Verma, who was serving as Director General (Legal and Technical) at the time of his elevation, took charge of his new responsibility at state police headquarters at Colaba in South Mumbai.

Speaking to media persons after assuming his new role, Verma said, "I thank the Election Commission and the state government for showing faith in me. I have taken charge of the post."

The assembly election process is going on and the code of conduct is also in force for the November 20 voting. During this period, police will strictly follow all orders and work accordingly, he said.

"I will sit with all officers, discuss with them, and take all relevant information and monitor the (poll) process," the new DGP said.

The senior IPS officer is due to retire in April 2028, an official said.

Asked about the posting of Shukla, the first woman DGP of Maharashtra, the official said there was no clarity on her new assignment.

Verma had headed the state police's Special Investigation Team (SIT) which probed the 2015 killing of Communist leader and rationalist Govind Pansare in Kolhapur district.

Ahead of the November 20 assembly polls, the ECI on Monday ordered that Shukla be removed as the state police chief with immediate effect following complaints from opposition parties.

The Congress had approached the EC seeking Shukla's transfer, citing her alleged role in tapping phones of opposition politicians when she headed the State Intelligence Department.

The poll panel on Monday directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. Accordingly, Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar was given the additional charge of DGP by the state government.

The chief secretary was also directed to send a panel of three IPS officers by Tuesday afternoon for appointment of one of them as the new DGP.

The ECI considered the panel and approved Verma's name and the state government appointed him as the DGP, the official added.

Shukla, a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, took over as the DGP in January this year. She was scheduled to retire from police service in June, but her tenure was extended by the Mahayuti government for two years (till 2026).