IPS officer Deven Bharti takes charge as special commissioner, Fadnavis says he will report to commissioner of police

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Deven Bharti took charge as the special commissioner of Mumbai Police a day after the Maharashtra Home Department issued the appointment order for the newly created post.

Responding to criticism by opposition Congress and Nationalist Congress Party that he was trying to create parallel administration by installing Bharti as special CP, deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he would be reporting to the commissioner of police (CP).

There was no Additional Director General-rank (ADG) official in Mumbai and the special CP will fill up that gap, said the BJP leader who handles the Home portfolio in the Eknath Shinde government.

He was the joint commissioner of police (law and order) when Fadnavis was the state's chief minister 2014 to 2019.Subsequently, he was shifted to the Anti-Terrorism Squad on promotion as additional director general of police. Bharti was shunted out when the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress came to power in 2019.