On task list of Maha Vikas Aghadi govt in Maharashtra: Appointing Mumbai police chief

“In August, when an extension was sought for Barve, the fact that the state was going in for elections in November was a factor. Now, if another extension is sought, they will have to give a reason for it,” the officer said.

In the past, then police commissioner Dhananjay Jadhav was granted an extension for three months in November 2007. As a consequence, his immediate superior, DGP P S Pasricha, was also granted an extension of three months. More recently, D D Pasalgikar, recently appointed the deputy NSA, was granted three-month extensions twice when he was the state DGP in 2018.

In case Barve is not granted an extension, his four batchmates, along with four officers from the 1988-batch, should be in the reckoning for the post of the police commissioner. “In the past, in order to accommodate particular officers, the post of the Mumbai Police commissioner had been upgraded from the additional director general (ADG) rank to the director-general (DG) rank,” the officer said.
If the state government does not want to take the decision within the next few days, it could also give additional charge of the post to the joint commissioner of police till the time a new commissioner is appointed.

An officer said that apart from the post of the Mumbai Police commissioner, another important post that the government will have to fill is that of the commissioner of the newly-created Mira Road Bhayandar Vasai Virar Police Commissionerate. Several IPS officers are said to have expressed interest for the post.