Sanjay Verma appointed Maharashtra's DGP

Mumbai: Sanjay Kumar Verma was appointed as Maharashtra’s new Director General of Police (DGP) on Tuesday, replacing Rashmi Shukla, who was removed following a directive from the Election Commission of India (ECI), an official confirmed.

Verma, a 1990-batch IPS officer currently serving as Director General – Legal and Technical, is set to retire in April 2028. His appointment comes just ahead of the state’s Assembly elections on November 20, after the ECI ordered Shukla’s removal on Monday following complaints from Opposition parties.

The Congress had approached the ECI, requesting Shukla’s transfer, citing her alleged involvement in phone tapping of Opposition politicians. Shukla, notably Maharashtra’s first woman DGP, handed over her responsibilities to Mumbai Commissioner of Police Vivek Phansalkar, who held the position temporarily.

Verma previously led the Special Investigation Team (SIT) that investigated the 2015 killing of communist leader and rationalist Govind Pansare. The ECI directed Maharashtra’s chief secretary to submit a panel of three senior IPS officers for the DGP role, ultimately approving Verma’s appointment, an official statement confirmed.