Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Election Commission on Monday directed the state government to immediately transfer Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla following complaints from political parties, including the Congress, PTI reports, citing sources.
The commission instructed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla’s responsibilities to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. The chief secretary was also directed to submit a panel of three IPS officers by Tuesday afternoon for the appointment of the new DGP.
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Earlier, in September, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole wrote to the apex poll body seeking the immediate removal of Shukla, saying such a step was necessary to ensure a free and fair polls. Shukla was appointed the state police chief in January 2024.
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In a letter to the EC dated September 24, he alleged the 1988-batch IPS officer was given illegal extension to the top post by the Shiv Sena-BJP-NCP-led Mahayuti government.
“During her tenure as the DGP, she has actively misused her position to harass and threaten opposition leaders, often generating false inquiries and registering baseless cases against them. She has acted as a political campaigner for the BJP, compromising the integrity and non-partisan nature of her role as a senior police officer,” Patole claimed.
Her removal as the DGP and DG of the ACB is crucial to safeguard the democratic process, Patole had said.
Maharashtra will vote in a single phase on November 20.
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During a recent review meeting, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar called for the need for officials to be not only impartial and fair but also to be perceived as non-partisan in their duties.
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