Election Commission asks Maharashtra government to transfer senior cop ‘immediately’

MUMBAI: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday night asked state chief secretary UPS Madan to shift joint commissioner of police (law and order) Deven Bharti with immediate effect. A senior bureaucrat confirmed to TOI that EC has asked Madan to transfer Deven Bharti immediately, preferably by 1pm on Sunday. The EC has directed Madan to submit a panel of three eligible IPS officers for appointment in place of Bharti. “As per EC directives, we will submit the panel on Sunday so that a new joint commissioner is appointed on Sunday itself before 1pm,” he said.

Two months ago, EC had asked the state to shift all officers who had completed their tenure of three years. The home department then shifted several IPS officers. It was expected the government would also shift Deven Bharti and joint commissioner (crime) Ashutosh Dumre, who too had completed tenure.

But the government submitted a proposal to retain Bharti in Mumbai till the LS elections. After EC rejected the proposal, a fresh plea was made to EC saying if Bharti was shifted now, there would be a vacuum as the commissioner of police too was new. EC accepted the proposal and allowed Bharti to continue.

But on Saturday, EC suddenly asked the state to shift him. Besides Dumre, Konkan range IG Naval Bajaj and joint commissioner (economic offences) Vinay Choubey are in the zone of consideration as replacements.