19 March,2021 04:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Diwakar Sharma
Maharashtra’s senior-most IPS officer Sanjay Pandey
At a time when the Mumbai police need an image makeover owing to the Sachin Waze episode, the Maharashtra government has once again sidelined 1986-batch IPS officer Sanjay Pandey. He has been given the charge of Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC). Previous Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh has been made Pandey's successor at the Home Guards department.
An IIT Kanpur alumni, Pandey, known for his honesty and grit, had arrested late BJP leader Gopinath Munde for opposing a demolition drive in Dharavi post the 1993 riots in Mumbai. As a deputy commissioner at the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), Pandey had investigated the âcobbler scam' and confronted Munde who was then the home minister. He was then transferred but he resigned in 2000. Later, he got a central deputation.
Many IPS officers believe that Pandey is a political victim for being âhonest'. "He is firm in his decisions and honest. He is the pride of the force but he has always been sidelined for taking strong and firm decisions without following political orders," said an IPS officer in Mumbai police.
Another IPS officer said, "The alleged role of API Waze in the explosives-laden Scorpio case has tarnished Mumbai police's image. It was the right time to give Pandey Mumbai police's charge."
Pandey said, "I don't know why I am always overlooked. It is for the politicians to respond. I have been diligently discharging my duty."
"If I were an incompetent officer, these oversights might have been reasonable. Owing to my competence and integrity I was entrusted with serious confidential enquiries recently, yet I was not considered for the post and my juniors got a chance. I have written to the chief minister, the home minister and the additional chief secretary of Maharashtra," Pandey said.
Pandey's letter reads, "When the post of DGP became vacant after Subodh Jaiswal left, you did not even consider to give additional charge to me and handed over the same to a junior officer. In fact, giving additional charge too for acting DG is illegal and against the Hon'ble SC's orders in Prakash Singh case," the letter read.
The letter mentions an enquiry against IPS officer Deven Bharati and an enquiry into the Finolex case, both conducted by Pandey. The latter led to a case being filed with Pune police.
"[In] This enquiry against Deven Bharati, I have had severe hurdles to face with non-cooperation from CP Mumbai and the then DGP Maharashtra. Witnesses were threatened on record by CP Shri Pramabir Singh, a fact which was reported to the government," the letter read.
"The then Chief secretary Sanjay Kumar telephonically ordered a sudden stoppage of this enquiry midway. A fact which was brought to your notice," the letter continued.
"In case of Finolex when the then DGP Subodh Jaiswal was not getting the case registered at Pimpri Chinchwad and had ordered the closure of the same, it was entrusted to me personally. I withstood the onslaught of the then DGP Subodh Jaiswal who declared that I was not even a police officer," the letter read.
"I wish and pray that you will personally ensure that injustice done to me is corrected and I am given my rightful place in the police force as senior-most officer in the state," concluded the letter.
