Datta Padsalgikar likely to succeed CP Javed Ahmed

Datta Padsalgikar, a Maharashtrian officer from the 1982 IPS batch, will be Mumbai Police Commissioner Javed Ahmed’s successor. Sources from the home department said that Mr Padsalgikar is both the BJP high command and Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis’ choice. He is acting as Additional Director at the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Delhi.

A highly-placed source from the home department said that Mr Padsalgikar recently met Mr Fadnavis during the winter session of the state legislature at Nagpur. He is Mr Fadnavis’ choice and the former wanted to appoint him as Commissioner of Police (CP) of Mumbai after Rakesh Maria. At the time however, Mr Padsalgikar rejected the proposal and chose to serve in the national capital.

“During his Nagpur visit, Mr Padsalgikar gave his nod to the CM for accepting the topmost and prestigious post of Mumbai CP, which every IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre wants to occupy once in his career,” said the source.

Mr Padsalgikar, an IPS officer, has served in several embassies including the United States of America and sources said he has a very good network at both national and international levels and thorough experience of diplomatic dialogue.

Meanwhile, sources from the home department said that even if Mr Padsalgikar is made Mumbai CP, he will be eligible for promotion to Director General of Police (DGP) very soon. “If the CM is in favour, he can extend tenure of Mr Padsalgikar till BMC elections using his discretionary powers, which he enjoys under the law,” said the source.

Apart from Mr Padsalgikar, Subodh Jaiswal (1985 batch), Sanjay Barve (1987 batch), K.K. Pathak (1983 batch) and V.D. Mishra (1984 batch) are other aspirants for the post. Some of these officers will have less than 6 months to go before they are eligible for promotion to the post of DGP. It means that they will have a very short tenure as Mumbai CP and hence, the state government is reportedly not in favour of these officials, said the source.

Another source from Mantralaya said that one of the opposition parties is pressing Mr Barve’s name for top cop as they fear that if the IB official becomes Mumbai CP, difficulties of their party leader will increase.