The charge of the new DGP of Maharashtra has been handed over to IPS Sanjay Verma. IPS Sanjay Verma has been appointed as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra by the Central Election Commission. Maharashtra Assembly elections are due in a few days. Earlier, the Election Commission had ordered the transfer of DGP Rashmi Shukla after receiving a complaint from state Congress chief Nana Patole. Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Election Commission on Monday directed the state government to transfer DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect following complaints from political parties, including the Congress, sources said. The poll body directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. The chief secretary was also directed to send a panel of three IPS officers by Tuesday afternoon for appointment as DGP, the sources said.
After the removal of DGP Rashmi Shukla, the Election Commission had sought the names of the three most senior IPS officers of Maharashtra cadre from the state government, of which Sanjay Verma was one. The other two senior officers in the race were Sanjeev Kumar Singhal and his batchmate Ritesh Kumar. The Congress had alleged that Shukla was a controversial officer who had sided with the BJP, and her continuing in office would raise doubts about holding polls fairly and in a transparent manner.
The Maharashtra government in February extended the tenure of DGP Rashmi Shukla by two years from the date of her appointment. An order about the extension of the tenure was issued by the home department. With this extension, Shukla, the first woman to occupy the top post in the state, will now retire from service on January 3, 2026.
