Datta Padsalgikar will succeed Ahmad Javed as the new Mumbai Police Chief.
Former Intelligence Bureau special director Datta Padsalgikar is all set to become the new Police Commissioner of Mumbai on February 1, after the retirement of Ahmad Javed. Padsalgikar is the 1982-batch officer and he is the first Maharashtrian police chief of Mumbai after almost a decade, after D N Jadhav who held the office between March 2007 and February 2008. Since Padsalgikar had served in the Intelligence Bureau for 12 years hence his experience will come handy in the Police department as Mumbai is the country’s financial and is always on the hit-list of terrorists. On the other hand, Ahmad Javed has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Padsalgikar possess vital experience in handling counter-terrorism operations and had played key role in gathering crucial experience against Pakistani non-state actors involved in the 26/11 terror attack. He also has served as deputy commissioner of zone 2 and DCP (detection) in Mumbai apart from serving sometime in the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police, which shows he has a geographical knowledge of the city very extensively.
A senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said, since Ahmad was retiring on January 31, it was decided that his successor will take over on February 1. “Some administrative, particularly retirement, issues were involved if Ahmad Javed is relieved 10 days prior to retirement. Under such circumstances, it was felt that Padsalgikar, an IPS officer of the 1982 batch, will be in waiting for 10 days and will join on February 1,” he said.
The minister said since Padsalgikar will joining in the rank of director-general, high-level changes in the Indian Police Service (IPS) were unlikely. “Since only one post will be vacant on February 1, it will be filled by Padsalgikar,” he said.
Mr Padsalgikar, an IPS officer, has served in several embassies including the United States of America and sources said he has a very good network at both nation-al and international levels and thorough experience of diplomatic dialogue.
A highly-placed source from the home department said that Mr Padsalgikar recently met Mr Fadnavis during the winter session of the state legislature at Nagpur. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis was keen to get Padsalgikar on board after the exit of Rakesh Maria, but the Central government was not keen to repatriate him. Post the appointment of Javed as the ambassador to Saudi Arabia, the CM again made a request to the Centre to allow Padsalgikar to be sent back to his parent cadre and this time he succeeded.
“He has been repatriated and has resumed his duty from Thursday. Currently he is being appointed as the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra, but has not been given any posting,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Home ) KP Bakshi.
