After taking charge as the Commissioner of Mumbai Police, senior IPS officer Deven Bharti has implemented a major reshuffle at the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) level. As part of the transfer orders, 16 DCP-rank officers have been reassigned to various zones across the city.
One of the key highlights of this reshuffle is that the Mumbai Cyber Cell has finally received a full-time DCP after a gap of nearly one and a half years. Since the post was lying vacant, the responsibility of the Cyber Cell was being handled as an additional charge by a DCP from the Crime Branch. Now, IPS officer Purushottam Karad has been appointed as the full-time DCP of the Cyber Cell.
Another significant aspect of the reshuffle is the return of certain officers to their previous postings. These officers had been transferred from their zones just before the state assembly elections, and had since been working in different departments.
According to the official order issued by the Commissioner, IPS officer Krishnakant Upadhyay has been reinstated as DCP of Zone 3. He had earlier been moved to Headquarters 1 just ahead of the assembly elections. Similarly, DCP Datta Nalawade of the Crime Branch has been reassigned to Zone 10 — a post he held prior to joining the Crime Branch.
DCP Dattatray Kamble has been shifted back to Special Branch 1 from Zone 3, where he was posted before the elections. Other key appointments include:
Mahesh Chimte as DCP, Zone 12 (from Protection Department)
Navnath Dhawale as DCP, Anti-Narcotics Cell (from Zone 6)
Vijaykant Sagar as DCP, Port Zone (from Zone 7)
Prashant Pardeshi as DCP, Traffic (South)
Nimmit Goyal as DCP, EOW's Special Task Force
Shyam Ghughe as DCP, Protection
Smita Patil as DCP, Headquarters 1
Pradnya Zende as DCP, Mantralaya Security
Sachin Gunjal as DCP, Preventive (from Zone 10)
Officers who have been transferred from outside Mumbai include Sameer Aslam Shaikh, who takes charge as DCP of Zone 6, Rakesh Ola as DCP of Zone 7, and Rajtilak Roshan, who joins as the new DCP of Mumbai Crime Branch from the DG Office.
This reshuffle is seen as a move by Commissioner Deven Bharti to strengthen field-level policing and bring experienced officers back to critical zones, especially in view of the upcoming administrative challenges in the city.