Senior IPS officer and National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General Sadanand Vasant Date has been repatriated to Maharashtra and is widely seen as the frontrunner to take over as the state’s next Director General of Police (DGP) after incumbent Rashmi Shukla retires on January 3 next year.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved Date’s premature repatriation to his parent cadre with immediate effect, according to a government order issued late Monday. A 1990-batch IPS officer, Date is currently the senior-most IPS officer in Maharashtra following Shukla’s retirement.
From NIA chief to Maharashtra’s top cop
Date was appointed Director General of the National Investigation Agency in March last year, heading the country’s premier counter-terror probe agency. His return to Maharashtra comes at a crucial time, with the state set to get a new police chief in the coming weeks.
With his repatriation approved by the Union Home Ministry and the Cabinet committee, Date is now the leading contender for the post of Maharashtra DGP, a role that places him at the helm of one of the country’s largest and most complex police forces.
The 26/11 officer who carries his scars as ‘medals’
Date is widely known as a 26/11 hero for his role during the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. On the night of November 26, 2008, when 10 Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists launched coordinated attacks across Mumbai after arriving by sea, Date was serving as additional commissioner of police for the central region.
He responded to reports of indiscriminate firing near Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and later at Cama Hospital. Date and his team managed to pin down terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail on the rooftop of the hospital, but the operation turned perilous as the attackers hurled grenades and opened fire. Date sustained serious injuries and was later awarded the President’s Police Medal for gallantry.
Speaking about the incident years later, Date said metallic splinters from the grenades remain embedded in his body, including one close to his eye, marks he considers not injuries, but “medals” from a war zone.
A career across key security and investigation roles
Now 59, Date has held several high-profile positions across state and central agencies. He has served as chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Deputy Inspector General in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Inspector General (Operations) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), and Commissioner of Police for Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar.
In addition to his operational experience, Date has an academic background in crime investigation, having completed a doctorate in economic offences from Pune University. His combination of field experience, counter-terror credentials and investigative expertise has shaped his reputation as a tough and seasoned officer, qualities likely to define his next role, should he formally take charge as Maharashtra’s police chief.
