Geetha Johri becomes Gujarat's first woman DGP

Senior IPS officer Geetha Johri was on Tuesday appointed as the new Gujarat DGP following the resignation of incumbent P P Pandey.

The 1982-batch IPS officer is the first woman to become the Gujarat police chief. At present, the 59-year-old is the Managing Director of Gujarat State Police Housing Corporation (GSPHC), a post she will continue to hold. Making the announcement at Gandhinagar, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja said the government has accepted the resignation of Pandey.

Johri will replace Pandey, who had to put in his papers after his appointment was challenged by former top cop Julio Riberio in the Supreme Court.

Riberio had filed a plea seeking a direction for removal of Pandey on several grounds including that CBI had filed charge sheet against him and others in the case of alleged fake encounter killing of Mumbai girl Ishrat Jahan. He had also challenged Pandey's extension as in-charge DGP.

"We have accepted the resignation of P P Pandey. Our Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today appointed Geetha Johri, the senior most IPS officer at present, as the new DGP in-charge of Gujarat," said Jadeja.

The minister said Johri would continue to serve as the MD of GSPHC. On Monday, Pandey, a 1980 batch Gujarat-cadre IPS officer, expressed his willingness to step down, an offer accepted by the state government. As per the government records, Johri was born on November 28, 1957.

Talking to the media after being appointed to the top post, she said her priority will be to address problems faced by women and to maintain law and order. In her career spanning almost 35 years, Johri has seen many ups and downs.

In the beginning of her career, she shot into limelight while serving as DCP in the city during mid 1990s.

At that time, she raided the den of slain underworld don Abdul Latif in highly sensitive Dariyapur area and managed to catch Latif's key aide Sharif Khan.