Mumbai: The Election Commission has removed Maharashtra Director General of Police Rashmi Shukla from her post on the complaint of the Congress. After the transfer of Rashmi Shukla, Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar has been given the additional charge of Maharashtra Director General of Police by the state government on Monday.

Ahead of the November 20 assembly elections, the Election Commission on Monday directed the state government to transfer Maharashtra's first woman DGP Shukla with immediate effect following complaints from political parties, including the opposition Congress.

Phansalkar given additional charge

The election body directed Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's charge to the next most senior IPS officer of the cadre. Accordingly, Phansalkar, a 1989 batch IPS officer, has been given additional charge of DGP till a new state police chief is appointed, the official said.

This is the second time Phansalkar has been given the additional responsibility of the state's top cop. The senior IPS officer was temporarily assigned the role of state police chief for 10 days - from December 31, 2023 to January 9, 2024 - after the retirement of then DGP Rajneesh Seth.

How did it come into the limelight

Rashmi Shukla is the first Director General of Police of Maharashtra to become an IPS at the age of just 22. She has been in the news in 2019 due to phone tapping of opposition leaders while she was the state's intelligence chief.

After that, after the Mahavikas Aghadi government came to power in the state, orders were given to register an FIR against him and investigate. Then, on his request, the central government made him the Director General of the Border Security Force on deputation.

Change of power in Maharashtra

When the power changed in Maharashtra, she was called back to Maharashtra and made the DGP of Maharashtra. She retired in June this year. But the state government has given her an extension in service. Ever since the announcement of assembly elections in Maharashtra, all opposition parties including Congress have been announcing the removal of Rashmi Shukla.

Refusal to change position

Opposition parties believed that elections cannot be fair as long as Rashmi Shukla is in office. Initially, the Election Commission had refused to change the post of DGP. But today, accepting the demand of opposition parties, it has decided to remove Rashmi Shukla and conduct elections under the leadership of a new DGP.