The Election Commission has removed Rashmi Shukla from the top post of the state police department. The selection of the new DGP will be made soon. The state administration has been asked to send the names of three senior police officers to the Election Commission by November 5.
Meanwhile, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has been given the additional charge of DGP. Recently, opposition leaders had levelled serious allegations against Rashmi Shukla, accusing her of being biased. Last week, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut had said, “There are very serious allegations against Rashmi Shukla, the DGP of Maharashtra… Can you expect her to conduct fair elections? We have said that she should not be given the responsibility of conducting elections, but the Election Commission says it does not have the power to transfer her. How is this possible? The DGP of Jharkhand was transferred at the same time, wasn’t it within their power?… The Maharashtra election is being conducted under police pressure.”
Why Was Rashmi Shukla’s Removal Demanded?
The opposition had accused the ruling party of misusing the police machinery against opposition candidates before the assembly elections. They had also demanded the removal of Rashmi Shukla, the DGP of Maharashtra. The opposition leaders claimed that the senior IPS officer was biased towards the ruling party and that if she continued to hold the top post, fair elections would not be possible. Rashmi Shukla, the first woman DGP of Maharashtra, had her tenure extended by the state government for about two years. She will continue to hold the post till January 3, 2026. The 1988 batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre was due to retire in June 2024.
Three FIRs were registered against her in Mumbai and Pune, two of which were quashed by the Bombay High Court. The CBI had started investigating one case, but later closed it due to lack of evidence.
