05 November,2024 09:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan
Rashmi Shukla, Maharashtra’s first woman DGP. File pic
The fate of Rashmi Shukla, Maharashtra's first woman Director General of Police (DGP) and a 1988-batch IPS officer, hinges on the results of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The next government will decide whether she will continue as DGP or retire, following the Election Commission of India's (ECI) order for her removal ahead of the upcoming polls. "We have received a letter from the ECI, based on which she has been sent on compulsory leave, and the names of three eligible officers for the next DGP have been forwarded to the ECI," said Maharashtra Chief Secretary Sujata Saunik.
The new government will make a decision after the elections. For now, she has been sent on compulsory leave based on the ECI's orders," Saunik added.
According to sources, Shukla's leave was prompted by multiple complaints from the Opposition, led by Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole. "There are no specific details about the grounds for her removal. We have only received a letter from the ECI requesting her removal. It is possible that the ECI wants the elections to be conducted under a new DGP, in response to Opposition complaints," a senior IAS officer of the Maharashtra government stated.
Shukla was accused of being close to the BJP and biased in favour of the ruling party. The Congress argued that her continuation as DGP would hinder free and fair elections in Maharashtra, which is set to go to the polls on November 20.
Reacting to the EC's order, Patole stated that Shukla is a controversial officer, having taken contentious actions in her previous postings that favoured the current ruling regime in the state. Allegations such as illegal phone tapping of Opposition leaders and criminal charges filed against her surfaced; despite this, Devendra Fadnavis and Eknath Shinde allegedly extended her term by two years for their benefit. Due to doubts about her ability to ensure fair and transparent elections, a letter demanding her immediate removal was sent to the EC on September 24. On September 27, when the Chief Election Commissioner visited Maharashtra, a Congress delegation met with him to request her removal, yet no action was taken. Reminders were subsequently sent to the Election Commission on October 31 and November 4. "Finally, the EC has removed Rashmi Shukla, although after much delay," said Nana Patole. In February 2024, the state government granted Shukla a two-year extension, allowing her to remain eligible to serve until January 2026, in line with an Apex Court ruling that states IPS officers appointed as DGPs must receive a minimum two-year term, regardless of their retirement date.
Saunik also confirmed the development, stating that the additional charge would be given to the senior-most IPS officer in the state, Vivek Phansalkar, who currently serves as the commissioner of Mumbai police until a full-time DGP is appointed.
In 2009, Maharashtra faced a similar situation when DGP A N Roy was removed following a complaint to the Election Commission. The senior-most DGP, S Chakravarty, was then given charge. After the election results, the UPA government returned to power and reinstated A N Roy as DG Maharashtra.
Patole, in his complaint ECI, alleged that DGP Rashmi Shukla's term was "illegally extended" until January 2026, despite her scheduled retirement on June 30, 2024. This extension, he claims, violates the Maharashtra Police Act, which mandates a maximum two-year tenure or retirement, "whichever is earlier."
Patole accused Shukla of "engaging in illegal activities" that compromise her impartiality. He alleged that she engaged in "unauthorised tapping of Opposition leaders' phones" and misused her position to intimidate political rivals by "generating false inquiries and baseless cases." Patole further claimed that Shukla's tenure has aligned the State Intelligence Department (SID) with BJP interests, thus creating a biased environment ahead of the state elections.
To ensure a "fair, free, and transparent" election, Patole requested that the ECI immediately remove Shukla from both her roles as DGP Maharashtra and DG ACB, stating her continued presence "compromises the democratic process."
Rashmi Shukla's tenure as State Intelligence Department (SID) commissioner was marked by allegations of unauthorised phone tapping of Opposition leaders, including Nana Patole, Sanjay Raut, and Eknath Khadse. Following the formation of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, three FIRs were filed against her.
After the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition - comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP, and Congress - took office, three FIRs were filed against her in Mumbai and Pune. These charges accused her of illegally tapping the phones of Nana Patole, NCP's Eknath Khadse, and Shiv Sena's Sanjay Raut. Shukla was named as an accused in two of the cases.
One case pertained to the alleged leak of the phone-tapping report. When the Shinde-Fadnavis government took power, the investigation was transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). In December last year, the Bombay High Court quashed two of the three FIRs filed against her. The third case, also transferred to the CBI, was closed after the court approved the CBI's closure report, ultimately allowing Shukla to re-assume a key role in the state apparatus. Shukla was scheduled to retire in June 2024 but was granted a two-year extension to serve a full-term tenure. This decision was made in line with the Prakash Singh judgment of the Supreme Court, which mandates a two-year tenure for DGPs to ensure their independence from political pressure.
Rashmi Shukla, a 1988-batch IPS officer, became Maharashtra's first woman Director General of Police (DGP) on January 8, succeeding Rajnish Seth. Formerly the chief of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), she took over from Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, who was holding additional charge following Seth's retirement.
In her distinguished law enforcement career, Shukla has held high-profile roles, including SP in Nashik, Aurangabad, Satara, and Pune Rural districts, and key positions in Mumbai as Deputy Commissioner, Additional Commissioner, and Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch). She served as Police Commissioner of both Nagpur and Pune and was Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department from 2016 to 2019. Shukla's central assignments include roles as ADG of CRPF in Jammu & Kashmir and Hyderabad, and Director General of Civil Defence. In 2023, she was appointed Director General of Seema Suraksha Bal before assuming her current position as Maharashtra's DGP.
