Mumbai gets a new police commissioner

In a surprising development, the State government on Monday issued an order appointing a new police commissioner for Mumbai.

1986 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Sanjay Pandey, who was the acting Director General of Police till recently, was on Monday appointed as the new Commissioner of Police, Mumbai. While holding additional charge of the DGP's post, Pandey was also the head of the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC).

Pandey will be replaced in his previous posting by Hemant Nagrale, who was till Monday the Mumbai Police chief.

Known to be a no nonsense officer as well as a strict but fair superior, Pandey received praise from the Srikrishna Commission as well as Amnesty International for his work in controlling the riots in Dharavi in 1993. During his 35-year career, Pandey has worked in key postings in the city and the State. As a Deputy Commissioner of Police, he has been posted with important agencies like the Economic Offences Wing and the Anti Narcotics Cell, Mumbai Police. He has also worked with the State Human Rights Commission in the past.

His rather controversial brush with the limelight came earlier this year when the Bombay High Court pulled up the Maharashtra government for letting additional charge of DGP, Maharashtra rest with Pandey for nearly a year, instead of appointing a full time State police chief. The HC had at the time referred to Pandey as the State's "blue-eyed boy".

Even as the corridors of power were abuzz of what the State government would do next, the order appointing him as Mumbai Police chief was issued on Monday afternoon.