Senior IPS officer Rajnish Seth takes over as the new DGP of Maharashtra

New Delhi, February 18

The Maharashtra Government appointed IPS officer Rajnish Seth as the new Dire tor General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra Police. 

Seth is currently the Director of the Anti Corruption Bureau of Maharashtra.

The 1988 cadre IPS officer has replaced Sanjay Pandey, who held the additional charge of the post since April 9, 2021.

Rajnish Seth's appointment has come after the Bombay High Court recently pulled up the state government for favouring acting DGP Pandey for the post.

Pandey, who is the managing director of the Maharashtra State Security Corporation, held the post of DGP as additional charge since April 9 last year, after the then state DGP Subodh Jaiswal was transferred to the CBI.

The ongoing matter at the Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal (MAT) over the transfer of 187 officers issued by former DGP Sanjay Pandey was also leading to a closed door with alleged differences between him and Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale. 

Nagrale has taken objection to ad hoc transfers of police officers in Mumbai city limits by Pandey and complained to the Home department in Mantralaya for transferring 187 police officers without giving substitutes.

After Pandey had issued the transfer orders, Nagrale had however not relieved them.

The MAT had asked the authorities to resolve the issue with a discussion between Additional chief secretary (home) Manukumar Srivastava, CP Hemant Nagrale and DGP Sanjay Pandey.

Former DGP Pandey had recently written to the Maharashtra Government seeking manpower for the Maharashtra Anti Terror Squad and even posted on Facebook calling for entries for the senior posts in ATS.

The move was however criticized by a few police officials. Maharashtra ATS which is absolute need of officers at SP and IGP ranks where several posts are lying vacant and one SP handling four posts on his shoulder with noone to take over the posts in ATS.