Rashmi Shukla becomes Maharashtra's first woman Director General of Police

Rashmi Shukla made history on Thursday as she assumed the role of Maharashtra's first female Director General of Police (DGP), as declared by the state home department. The accomplished 59-year-old Indian Police Service officer, belonging to the 1988 batch, previously served as the director general of the Sashastra Seema Bal on deputation.

Before Shukla's appointment, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar temporarily held the additional charge of DGP Maharashtra following Rajnish Seth's retirement on December 31, 2023.

Shukla's journey to this milestone was not without its share of controversies during the previous Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's tenure. She faced accusations related to phone tapping, particularly during her tenure as the head of the state intelligence department when Devendra Fadnavis was the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

In September 2023, the Bombay High Court dismissed two First Information Reports (FIRs) registered against Shukla in Pune and Colaba, South Mumbai, in connection with the alleged illegal phone tapping of opposition leaders. The FIRs had been filed during Fadnavis's tenure as the leader of the opposition, based on a letter purportedly written by Shukla to the then-Maharashtra Director General of Police, highlighting alleged corruption in police department transfers.

The Pune case, focused on the recording of phone calls involving state Congress chief Nana Patole, resulted in a C-Summary report, indicating that the case neither confirmed nor refuted its veracity. In the Mumbai case, involving phone calls of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Eknath Khadse, the government declined to grant sanction for Shukla's prosecution.

Notably, Devendra Fadnavis, formerly the Chief Minister and now the Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister, played a pivotal role during these events. Despite the controversies, Rashmi Shukla's appointment marks a significant achievement and a milestone for women in law enforcement in the state of Maharashtra.

(With input from PTI)