Over 100 personnel of the Mumbai Police will be conferred with the Director General’s (DG) Insignia, an award given to police personnel for notable service in the line of duty, on Wednesday.
The DGP presents the award every year on Maharashtra Day to police personnel selected from across ranks based on their track record and incidents where they displayed exemplary action. This year, of the 800 personnel to be honoured from all over the State, 104 are from Mumbai.
The Insignia will be awarded at a function at the Mumbai Police Club on Wednesday morning.
DCP Manjunath Singe
The awardees include two deputy commissioners of police: DCP (operations) Manjunath Singe and DCP (quick response team) Vasant Jadhav. Mr. Singe also serves as the city police spokesperson and is being honoured for his service in anti-Naxal operations, while he was posted as Superintendent of Police, Gadchiroli.
“It is a moment of pride for me to be bestowed with this prestigious honour,” Mr. Singe said. As the SP in Gadchiroli and subsequently in Palghar, Mr. Singe is credited with connecting all police stations in the commissionerate through a videoconferencing facility, ushering both the police forces into the digital age. Mr. Jadhav, meanwhile, is being awarded the Insignia for his exemplary track record.
Police inspectors Nitin Patil and Rais Sheikh of the Bandra traffic police division and Crime Branch Unit XI, respectively, are among the other recipients.
Police inspector Nitin Patil
Mr. Patil, during his tenure with the Property Cell of the Crime Branch, was part of the investigating team that detected a string of high-profile and sensitive cases, including the 2013 Indian Premier League betting racket and the rape and murder of a 24-year-old Andhra Pradesh native in Kanjurmarg in 2014. Mr. Sheikh, too, was involved in the investigation of several sensitive cases, some of which included sexual assault on minors.
“I have been in the service for 20 years now and I feel so proud to be receiving this honour. Having the Insignia on the uniform will motivate me to work even harder and with utmost dedication,” Mr. Patil said.
Police constable Mangesh Pawar
The list also includes 82 personnel of the constabulary rank posted all over the city. Police constable Mangesh Pawar, currently posted with the Crime Branch Unit III, is one of those named in the list for consistent excellent performance over a service of 12 years. “It is rare that the topmost officer of the State takes note of your efforts and rewards you for the same. Today is a very happy day for me as a policeman,” Mr. Pawar said.