Mumbai: Senior inspector forcibly retired, but she says it’s due next year

MUMBAI: The Mumbai Police has forcibly retired senior inspector Gulab Patil of Dharavi police station citing that she was due for retirement last year, but continued to remain in service due to an “administrative error”.
Patil, however, claimed that she is due for retirement in March 2022. She has forwarded her service sheet to the state director general of police for review.
According to the Mumbai Police, the administrative error came to light in May when the department wanted to send Patil’s service sheet to the DGP’s office as she was due for promotion to the rank of assistant commissioner of police (ACP), but could not find it.
Police officers have two records—a service sheet and a gradation list. The service sheet is sent to the DGP’s office whenever an officer is due for promotion.
“We wanted to send Patil’s service sheet to the DGP, but it was not traceable,” said Rajkumar Watkar, joint commissioner of police (administration). “So, we started digging and after a long time found her records from the state intelligence department office, where she was earlier posted. According to the records, she was supposed to retire in March 2020. Hence, an administrative decision was taken and she was asked to retire on July 31,” he added.
On August 1, senior inspector Vijay Mane took charge of Dharavi police station.
But Patil insisted that it was a case of technical error. “I have found my records and have submitted them to the DGP’s office. According to the service sheet, now I am due for promotion to the rank of ACP now and for retirement in 2022,” she told TOI.