MUMBAI: Rashmi Shukla was reinstated as director general of police (DGP) Monday, about three weeks after the Election Commission moved her out of the post following a complaint by the state Congress unit chief.
Shukla’s return came soon after the lifting of the model code of conduct that had been in force for the assembly election. “Shukla’s reinstatement is in accordance with the directives of the chief minister,” a bureaucrat said.
A 1988-batch IPS officer, Shukla was sent on compulsory leave following EC’s directives on Nov 4.
Congress claims EC order on Shukla wrongly interpreted
Soon after Rashmi Shukla was reinstated as DGP on Monday, the Congress cried foul. It said the EC had asked for her permanent removal fromthe post.
The EC’s Nov 4 order to shift her out of the office of DGP had come after a complaint lodged by MPCC president Nana Patole, whose contention was that in view of Shukla’s “doubtful integrity” and her pro-BJP views, she should be removed from the top police post in the state.
The EC had then asked the state govt to hand over charge of the DGP’s office to Sanjay Verma.
Shukla, whose retirement was due on June 30, was given a two-year extension in accordance with the guidelines prescribed in the Prakash Singh case, where it was directed that the DGP should enjoy a fixed tenure of two years.
Patole had lodged a complaint with the EC against Shukla. He had even given a personal letter to chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar. Initially, Rajiv Kumar had taken the view that there was no substance in the complaint, since the appointment was as per the guidelines prescribed by the Supreme Court in the Prakash Singh case.
Then, unexpectedly, the EC asked the state govt to immediately shift her out and entrust the charge to the senior-most IPS officer and submit a panel of senior IPS officers for appointment of DGP.
The charge was then given to commissioner of police Vivek Phansalkar. A couple of days later, Verma was appointed DGP.
MPCC spokesperson Atul Londhe said that there was a wrong interpretation of the EC’s order. He said EC had asked the state govt remove her permanently and appoint a new DGP as per the guidelines prescribed by the apex court.
He said that the home department instead sent her on leave till the code of conduct was in force, and hours after the code of conduct was withdrawn, she was reinstated. “This is a violation of the EC order,” Londhe said.