New top cop Sanjay Pandey Known as upright and no-nonsense officer

Senior Indian Police Service officer Sanjay Pandey on Monday took charge as the 45th Mumbai police commissioner, shortly after the home department issued an order transferring him to the sought-after post

Senior Indian Police Service officer Sanjay Pandey on Monday took charge as the 45th Mumbai police commissioner, shortly after the home department issued an order transferring him to the sought-after post.

After entering the CP office compound, Pandey went straight to the Crime Branch’s old building where he served as DCP in the Economic Offences Wing in 1997 (Bhushan Koyande)

Known as an upright and no-nonsense officer, Pandey, 59, is termed as a sincere and professional policeman by many in the force. The senior cop would, however, get very little time to serve the city, which has seen three commissioners in a year. He is slated to retire from the service in June this year.

Pandey visited the Mumbai police headquarters in the afternoon - his first visit after about 25 years and after taking charge from outgoing commissioner, Hemant Nagrale, who will replace Pandey as the managing director, Maharashtra State Security Corporation.

After entering the CP office compound, Pandey went straight to the Crime Branch’s old building where he served as DCP in the Economic Offences Wing in 1997.

“After entering the office on the second floor, where he used to sit while serving as DCP, he got a bit nostalgic and recalled a few cases that he had solved then,” a senior police officer said.

The 1986 batch IPS officer, Pandey, is an IIT-Kanpur alumnus. He has an engineering degree in information technology.

Born in 1962, Pandey is the first DGP who travelled by local train for over three years, protesting the side postings that he got during most of his career.

In the early years of his career, Pandey had been part of important investigations, especially in several high-profile economic offense cases. Apart from DG, Maharashtra State Security Corporation, Pandey has also held posts of ADG, home guards, controller, Legal Metrology Department, DCP, Mumbai zone 8, and DCP, economic wing, Mumbai.

During the communal riots of 1992–93, Pandey had tackled the violence erupted in some sensitive pockets in central Mumbai. Pandey, as DCP, controlled the violence quickly in densely populated Dharavi, earning praise by the Sri Krishna Commission. Pandey was also looked up to as he had not backed off in trying times in spite of his disputes with some political leaders.

Pandey had moved the Bombay high court against a state home department resolution which delayed his promotion as DGP.

The HC found merit in his argument and struck down the state order that had treated Pandey’s leave between 2000 and 2002 as ‘not on duty’. The HC also reprimanded the government for its 2016 order that had recalled its 2007 decision to regularise his leave period and treat him as on duty. The court had asked the state to consider Pandey’s case for promotion to the post of additional director general of police from 2012 within four weeks. It had said that if found eligible, then after his promotion within six weeks, the state would have to consider him for promotion to the DGP’s post.

Pandey has also faced controversies in the recent past. Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh had alleged that (while serving as Maharashtra DGP) Pandey offered him a settlement, advising him to withdraw his corruption allegations against former home minister Anil Deshmukh. In return, inquiries against him ordered by the state government would be closed. After this, Pandey had recused himself from the task of conducting two inquiries against Singh. After this episode, it was alleged that Pandey was acting at the behest of the MVA government.

Pandey also locked horns with Nagrale over transfers of policemen out of the city. Pandey had issued orders of transfers of more than two dozen sub-inspectors, assistant inspectors and inspectors on December 17, 2021. It was allerged that there was no consultation or consultation with Nagrale. Later, a few of these officers moved the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal.

While working as DGP, Pandey was praised for initiatives aimed at welfare of junior rank police personnel. Probably that’s the reason why junior police personnel, especially the constabulary, are happy with his appointment as the city police chief.

His key works as DGP included PC (police constable) to PSI promotion, one step promotion for sports quota, 13-month salary to policemen, increase in rate of TA, reservation for children of policemen, 1.5 times salary for men posted in headquarters in Gadchiroli, reorganisation of wireless, 20-day casual leave, DG loan, DDN exam, changes in the HRA circular, recruitment rules for MT/RPI, and increase in allowance for dog squad.

For officers he has done works like ₹6,000 annual uniform allowance for PSI to DySP, removing the post of API, and provide promotions after 10, 20 and 30 years. Training for officers completing 10, 20 and 30 years also started.

He also brought the training department under an officer of the rank of Director General, to bring all police training institutes under one umbrella. He ensured that CID crime has a DG rank officer and merged EOW with CID crime.