Rashmi Shukla Appointed Maharashtra’s First Female Director General of Police
Mumbai, 4th January 2024: The Eknath Shinde government in Maharashtra marked a historic moment by appointing Rashmi Shukla as the Director General of Police (DGP), making her the first woman to hold this distinguished position in the state. The appointment comes in the wake of the retirement of Rajnish Seth, who has been designated as the Chairman of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
Rashmi Shukla, an accomplished IPS officer of the 1988 batch, presently serves as the Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal. Her illustrious career includes prior roles such as the Additional DG of the Central Reserve Police Force. Notably, Shukla is set to have a relatively brief tenure of six months, with her retirement scheduled for June 30.
The decision to appoint Shukla was reached after a meeting between Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Ministers Devendra Fadnavis, and Ajit Pawar. The move is seen as a positive step towards gender inclusivity and breaking traditional barriers within the state’s law enforcement leadership.
However, it’s important to note that Shukla’s appointment has not been without controversy. During the previous MVA rule, Shukla faced allegations of illegal phone tapping of prominent politicians, including Sanjay Raut of Shiv Sena, Eknath Khadse of NCP, and Nana Patole of Congress, during her tenure as the head of the state intelligence department between 2015 and 2019. Following a high-level inquiry and subsequent legal actions, cases were registered in March 2022. However, with the change in government, two FIRs were quashed by the Bombay High Court, and the third case was referred to the CBI, which subsequently submitted a closure report. Shukla’s appointment raises anticipation and discussion about her tenure, given the backdrop of past controversies.
