Mumbai: Senior IPS officer and 26/11 terror attack hero Sadanand Vasant Date on Saturday assumed charge as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra, succeeding Rashmi Shukla, who retired after completing 37.5 years of service.
Appointment Approved on December 31, Two-Year Tenure Begins
Date, a 1990-batch IPS officer, formally took over on Saturday at the state police headquarters around 4 pm. He was heading the National Investigation Agency (NIA) before being prematurely repatriated to his home cadre at the request of the Maharashtra government. His appointment as DGP was approved on December 31, paving the way for a two-year tenure as the head of the over two lakh-strong Maharashtra Police force.
In morning Sadanand Date, paid a courtesy visit to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at his official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai. During the meeting, Chief Minister Fadnavis congratulated Date on his appointment and extended his best wishes for a successful tenure ahead.
Widely respected as a tough and upright officer, Date is best known for his role during the November 26, 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai. Then serving as Additional Commissioner of Police (Central Region), he led a police team that cornered terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail at Cama Hospital. Despite sustaining serious grenade splinter injuries, Date continued the operation and was later awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.
Extensive Experience Across Policing and Central Agencies
Following the 26/11 attacks, Date volunteered to lead Maharashtra’s elite counter-terrorism unit, Force One, becoming its first chief. He is also credited with strengthening the Anti-Terrorism Cell within the Mumbai Police. Over the years, he has served as Maharashtra ATS chief, the first Commissioner of Police of Mira-Bhayandar-Vasai-Virar, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order and Crime) in Mumbai, DIG in the CBI, and IG (Operations) in the CRPF.
Outgoing DGP Rashmi Shukla, the first woman to head the Maharashtra Police, was accorded a ceremonial guard of honour at the Naigaon Police Ground. Her tenure witnessed several controversies, including cases linked to alleged phone-tapping during the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which were later withdrawn after a change in power. She was also briefly transferred during the Assembly elections following opposition allegations of bias, but was reinstated after the BJP-led government returned to office.
Addressing her farewell gathering, Shukla said she was proud that law and order remained stable during her tenure and that major festivals and elections were conducted peacefully. “This success does not belong to one individual but to the entire police force,” she said, also highlighting a significant decline in Naxalite activity in districts such as Gadchiroli and Gondia. With Date at the helm, expectations are high for a renewed focus on counter-terrorism, crime control and strengthening internal security across Maharashtra.
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