Who Is Sanjay Kumar Verma? Maharashtra's New DGP Steps In Before Elections

Sanjay Kumar Verma has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) for Maharashtra, effective Tuesday. He replaces Rashmi Shukla, who was removed following a directive from the Election Commission of India (ECI), according to official sources.

Verma will assume his new role from Vivek Phansalkar, the Mumbai Commissioner of Police, who had been given the additional responsibility of DGP on Monday.

A 1990-batch IPS officer, Verma was previously serving as the Director General - Legal and Technical. Notably, he led a Special Investigation Team (SIT) that investigated the 2015 assassination of communist leader and rationalist Govind Pansare.

Sanjay Kumar Verma is set to retire in April 2028, as confirmed by an official speaking to the news agency PTI.

His appointment comes just ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections scheduled for November 20. The ECI had ordered Rashmi Shukla's removal amid complaints from opposition parties.

Rashmi Shukla made history as Maharashtra's first female DGP. Following her transfer ordered by the ECI, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar was appointed to oversee the DGP role temporarily.

Reasons for Rashmi Shukla's Removal

Rashmi Shukla, a 1988-batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, faced serious allegations of illegally tapping the phones of several Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders during her tenure as head of the State Intelligence Department (SID). Three cases were filed regarding the alleged phone tapping, and she was named in two of them. However, in September 2023, the Bombay High Court quashed both FIRs against her. The third case, which is under investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), has yet to reach a conclusion, and a closure report has been submitted to the court.

The Congress party approached the Election Commission, requesting Shukla's transfer due to her alleged involvement in the phone tapping of opposition politicians. Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole urged the ECI on Thursday to remove DGP Rashmi Shukla, especially with the upcoming assembly elections.

In his letter to the ECI, Patole accused Shukla of being a controversial officer who aligned with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), arguing that her continued presence would raise concerns about the fairness and transparency of the election process.

In response, the ECI directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's duties to the next senior-most IPS officer and to submit a panel of three IPS officers for consideration by Tuesday afternoon. After reviewing the panel, the ECI approved Verma's name, leading to his appointment as Maharashtra's new DGP. During a recent review meeting, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar emphasized the importance of impartiality and transparency in the conduct of election-related duties.