Nashik IGP shunted as part of police top brass reshuffle

State IG (law and order) Manoj Sharma, on whom the movie ‘12th Fail’ was based, has been named the new joint commissioner (law and order) of Mumbai

Mumbai: Special Inspector General of Police (IGP), Nashik range, Datta Karale, who had shared the dais with dubious godman Ashok Kharat, was among a clutch of senior police officers transferred by the state government on Friday.

Nashik IGP shunted as part of police top brass reshuffle

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis who also heads home department has effected a major reshuffle of Mumbai as well as state police. Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Manoj Sharma has been appointed as joint commissioner (law and order) in Mumbai while IPS officer Tejaswini Satpute who headed the special investigation team (SIT) against Kharat has been promoted as additional commissioner and will head the crime branch of Pune police.

Karale has been shifted as special IG of the State Human Rights Commission. He will be replaced by Pravin Padwal who is special IG (training), Maharashtra police.

Social activist Anjali Damania, who had sought Karale’s suspension over alleged links with Kharat, welcomed the development.

“I am happy that Karale has been transferred. Ideally, he should have been suspended, as there is another serious CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe against him too,” Damania told reporters.

Karale, who is due to retire by September-end, did not respond to requests for comment from HT.

Meanwhile, Tejaswini Satpute who headed the SIT against Kharat has been promoted as additional commissioner and will head the crime branch of Pune police. It is not clear whether she will continue to head the SIT or a new officer would be appointed in her place.

Most of the Mumbai police’s top brass has been changed by Fadnavis. Most joint commissioners of police in Mumbai had completed their term. State IG (law and order) Manoj Sharma, on whom the movie ‘12th Fail’ was based, is the new joint commissioner (law and order) of Mumbai. Sharma has earlier worked in Mumbai as DCP Zone 1, additional commissioner (west) and also headed the Central Industrial Security Force at Mumbai Airport.

Anil Kumbhare who is joint commissioner (traffic) will now head the famed crime branch of Mumbai police as joint commissioner (crime). Lakhmi Gautam the incumbent joint commissioner (crime) has been posted in Sharma’s earlier role as special IG (law and order) in state headquarters.

The present Joint Commissioner (law and order) Satyanarayan is the new joint commissioner for traffic in the city. He had played a crucial role in dispersing the mobs after the Maratha agitation.

Suvez Haque who returned from foreign deputation has been appointed as joint commissioner (administration) of Mumbai police.

IPS officer Rajesh Pradhan who too returned from deputation has been appointed as Joint Commissioner of Police in economic offences wing of Mumbai police, while earlier joint CP Nishit Mishra has been made in-charge of training. The present joint commissioner of police (administration) S Jayakumar will now head the Force One commando force.

The additional commissioner of Mumbai’s eastern region Mahesh Patil has been promoted and posted as IG (planning and coordination), while Paramjit Dahiya, the additional commissioner of Mumbai Western region is now the head of the anti-narcotic cell.

Three deputy commissioners of police in Mumbai – Pravin Mundhe, Krishnakant Upadhyaya and Dikshit Gedam – have been promoted as additional commissioners and retained in Mumbai police as the police commissioner Deven Bharti wanted experienced hands in the city.

Special IGP CK Meena has been posted as Special IGP of Konkan range with areas like Sindhudurg, Ratnagiri, Raigad, Palghar and Thane Rural. Earlier IGP of Konkan Sanjay Darade has been appointed as joint commissioner of Pune Police.

Navi Mumbai additional commissioner Deepak Sakore, husband of minister of state Meghana Bordikar Sakore, is joint commissioner of Navi Mumbai. He has also been promoted.

Mokshada Patil who was posted in the State Reserve Police Force is now promoted to additional commissioner of police in Mumbai.