Maharashtra: Suspense Over New DGP Continues

Mumbai: The suspense over the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra continues as the current police chief Rajnish Seth will be retiring in December.

According to sources, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has sought the names of all senior police officers who have completed 30 years of service to replace Seth. As per rules, the names of three senior officers will have to be sent to the UPSC.

IPS officers Rashmi Shukla, Sandeep Bishnoi, Vivek Phansalkar and Pradnya Sarvade are among the strong contenders to become the new DGP of the state.

Others in the list include Jaijit Singh, Sanjay Verma, Atulchandra Kulkarni, Bipin Kumar Singh of 1990 batch. Officers of the 1992 batch have been canceled due to some technical reasons.

At present, Shukla, who is on a central deputation heading the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), is the front-runner for the top post. However, her elevation is in doubt considering her role in the phone tapping case.

Thane's current Police Commissioner Jaijit Singh has completed two years and has also been promoted, so now Thane is waiting for a new commissioner.

In this scenario, names of Amitabh Gupta, Prashant Burde, Ashutosh Dumbre or Niket Kaushik are being floated for the post.