Vivek Phansalkar appointed as Thane police commissioner

A 1989 batch officer, Phansalkar has worked in Thane previously in 2008.

IPS officer Vivek Phansalkar took charge as Thane police commissioner on Tuesday, succeeding Parambir Singh, who has been posted to Mumbai as additional director general of police (law and order).

Vivek Phansalkar. (HT File Photo)

Prior to this appointment, Phansalkar had been additional director general of Mumbai’s Anti-Corruption Bureau since 2016.

A 1989-batch officer, Phansalkar has worked in Thane previously, in 2008, when he crucially helped end riots between two communities that had been going on for a week.

“Being Thane’s police commissioner is a big responsibility, as there are many challenges and problems that need to be studied and resolved. I will give it my best and continue to do good work,” Phansalkar said on Tuesday while speaking to media.

Elaborating on some of the city’s major issues, he said: “Thane suffers from severe traffic problem. We will study and try to find solutions. We will try to meet people’s expectations and attempt to build a strong bond between the police and the public.”

Phansalkar also said he would work closely with the Thane Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

The new police chief appreciated the work the Thane police have been doing. “They did a good job calmly controlling agitators during the recent Maratha protests,” he said.