CM clears name of DGP Rajnish Seth for MPSC chairperson post

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has approved the appointment of DGP Rajnish Seth as the new chairperson of the MPSC. This could pave the way for IPS officer Rashmi Shukla to become the next DGP. Other contenders for the post include Sandeep Bishnoi, Vivek Phansalkar, and Pradnya Sarvade.

Chief minister Eknath Shinde has cleared the appointment of Director General of Police (DGP) Rajnish Seth as the next chairperson of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) with a two-year term, people aware of the development said. The Chief Minister’s Office on Tuesday sent a file in this regard to Raj Bhavan for the governor’s approval.

Navi Mumbai, India - August 22, 2023: Maharashtra DGP Rajnish Seth along with Police Commissioner Milind Bharambe inductes Technology Center in Navi Mumbai Police Department during a program held at Navi Mumbai Police Commissionerate at CBD Belapur, in Navi Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, August 22, 2023. (Photo by Bachchan Kumar/ HT PHOTO) (HT PHOTO)

Seth had also applied for a post of member in the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, but the government chose him as MPSC chief, a first for an IPS officer in the state, sources said. On September 19, MPSC chairperson Kishorraje Nimbalkar retired.

The sources also said once Seth took charge at MPSC, the BJP-Shiv Sena-NCP government could name IPS officer Rashmi Shukla as the next DGP. She is currently the DGP of Sashastra Seema Bal.

Despite attempts, Shukla could not be reached for a comment.

Seth is due to retire in December 2023. He can work as MPSC chairperson till he turns 62. Sources in the government said Seth could apply for the voluntary retirement scheme and in that case, Shukla, who is senior to Seth, could take the top police job in the state.

Shukla, an IPS officer of the 1988 batch, is due to retire in June 2024. Shukla had served as Pune police commissioner, additional DG (traffic), inspector general (law and order), DIG (administration), SP in Nagpur and DCP in Solapur. But her stint as State Intelligence Department commissioner was controversial as during this period the department allegedly tapped telephones of top political leaders.

The home department has started work on the panel of officers that will be sent to the Union Public Service Commission, who in turn selects three of them. The state government will then pick one of them as the next DGP.

The list is likely to have names of DG rank officers such as Shukla, police housing corporation chief Sandeep Bishnoi, Mumbai police commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, railway police DG Pradnya Sarvade, Thane police commissioner Jaijeet Singh, Anti Terrorism Squad chief Sadadand Date, National Investigation Agency’s additional director Atulchandra Kulkarni and state security corporation DG Bipin Kumar Singh. There will also be the names of officers who can be promoted to DG rank by December 2023 and some additional director general rank officers who have completed 30 years of service.

Other than Shukla, Phansalkar is another strong contender for the DGP post.