Police Commissioner of Mumbai

The Police Commissioner of Mumbai is the chief of the Mumbai Police. The commissioner is appointed by the Maharashtra State Government on the recommendation by the Establishment Board, which includes Additional Chief Secretary—Home department and other senior bureaucrats.

Police Commissioner
of Mumbai Police
Rank Insignia of the Police Commissioner (Director General Rank)
Incumbent
Param Bir Singh

since 28 February 2020
StyleThe Honorable
AppointerGovernment of Maharashtra
Term length4 years
Inaugural holderSir Frank H. Souter
Formation1864
DeputyJoint Commissioner of Police
WebsiteOfficial Website

The headquarters are opposite Crawford Market in South Mumbai

The commissioner is an Indian Police Service officer.

Early background

On 14 December 1864, when the port city of Bombay was at the height of its mercantile boom, Sir Frank Souter laid the foundations of a police force that he hoped would rank "only second to Scotland Yard".

Sir Frank, who remained at the helm of the police force for 24 years, was Mumbai's first Commissioner of police. Successive CPs built up a force that became the most formidable in the Empire, second only to London. Almost no major crime in Mumbai remained unsolved for long. Neither were there any political killings. Despite prolonged labor strikes, the fabric of Mumbai's law and order remained unrent, thanks to the fine force led by dedicated CPs and their loyal band of officers. On the first day of India's freedom, ace police officer J.S. Bharucha took over from A.E. Caffin. It was the end of the British era, but as in other areas of government, the pomp and ceremony of office continued, every morning, the CP is welcomed into the headquarters with a smart salute by a Police platoon and band. Bombay province's first Inspector General of Police (IGP) S.M. Kamte realized soon enough that although he was technically head of the entire province, the power lay with the Bombay CP. Kamte prevailed upon the then chief minister (called premier) B.G. Kher to shift the IGP's office from Pune to Mumbai. But even this did not dent the CP's clout and the CP's post has remained like the Wimbledon Cup that every police officer worth his salt has aspired for. Supercop J.F. Ribeiro occupied the CP's office for over four years and is the only CP after 1960, when Maharashtra was formed, to complete a full tenure. Ribeiro's most challenging job was quelling the police revolt of 1982 in Mumbai, the first of its kind almost anywhere in India. The most adverse publicity was earned when retired CP Ram Deo Tyagi was arrested for his alleged role in the Suleiman Bakery firing during the 1992-'93 Mumbai riots. In January 1993, Shrikant Bapat, an officer of impeccable credentials, was removed as CP for failing to control the riots. His immediate predecessor S. Ramamurthi could never shake off the black spot in his career— he was in charge of Indira Gandhi's security when she was assassinated on 31 October 1984, by her bodyguards. Ramamurthi was shifted out of the department and was reinstated as police chief in Mumbai. CP P.S. Pasricha is the second Sikh to bag the hot seat. The first was A.S. Samra, who replaced Bapat. Intrepid officers like R.H. Mendonca and Satish Sahney have graced the office, never allowing any scandal to taint it.

Forjett Street's Hero Charles Forjett is the best-remembered commissioner of police to date. A genial officer, he used to go native in his dress and speak the local languages fluently. Forjett was a one-man intelligence bureau who busted several criminal rings and created the first formal police structure for Mumbai. Forjett's most commendable job was to ensure that Mumbai remained calm in 1857. Forjett took over in November 1856 and was in office till April 1864. He was the first deputy commissioner of police of Mumbai (1856-62) and was later promoted as acting commissioner (1862-64). In gratitude to his excellent policing, Forjett Hills was named after him.[1]

Criticism

Julio Ribeiro wrote that some commissioners are appointed by lobbying. They are expected to repay the favour to the politicians. They transfer junior officials to positions where the politicians can make maximum illegal money.[2]

List of Police Commissioners of Mumbai

NameDates in OfficeBadge Name
Param Bir Singh28 February 2020 - presentPARAM BIR SINGH
Sanjay Barve28 February 2019 - 2020SANJAY BARVE
Subodh Kumar Jaiswal30 June 2018 - 27 February 2019SUBODH JAISWAL
Dattatray Padsalgikar31 January 2016 – 29 June 2018D. D. PADSALGIKAR
Ahmad Javed8 September 2015 – 31 January 2016AHMAD JAVED
Rakesh Maria16 February 2014 – 8 September 2015RAKESH MARIA
Dr.Satyapal Singh23 August 2012 – 31 January 2014SATYA PAL SINGH
Arup Patnaik1 March 2011 – 23 August 2012ARUP PATNAIK
Sanjeev Dayal1 June 2010 – 1 March 2011SANJEEV DAYAL
Dhanushyakodi Sivanandan13 June 2009 – 31 May 2010D SIVANANDAN
Hasan Gafoor1 March 2008 – 12 June 2009HASAN GAFOOR
Dhananjay Jadhav7 March 2007 – 29 February 2008D. N. JADHAV
Anami Narayan Roy4 February 2004 – 6 March 2007A. N. ROY
Dr.Parvinder Singh Pasricha19 November 2003 – 3 February 2004P. S. PASRICHA
Ranjit Singh Sharma1 January 2003 – 9 November 2003R. S. SHARMA
Mahesh Narayan Singh5 May 2000 – 31 December 2002M. N. SINGH
Ronald Hyacinth Mendonca21 August 1997 – 5 May 2000R. H. MENDONCA
S. C. Malhotra
Satish Sahney Nov 1993 - Oct 1995 SATISH SAHNEY
Amarjeet Singh SamraJan 1993- Nov 1993A. S. SAMRA
Shreekant Krushnaji BapatAugust 1992 - January 1993
Vasant Keshaorao Saraf[3]August 1987V.K.Saraf
D. S. Soman6 June 1986 -
Julio Francis Ribeiro25 February 1982 – 6 June 1986J. F. RIBEIRO
K. P. Medhekar
Emmanuel Sumitra ModakE. S. MODAK
K. J. Nanavatty19 June 1975 - 26 June 1977[4]
K. D. Billimoria3 July 1955 - 20 September 1957[4]
Jehangir Sohrab Bharucha15 August 1947 – 16 May 1949J. S. BHARUCHA[4]
A. E. Caffin4 February 1947 – 14 August 1947
F. A. M. Vincent16 apr 1916 – 21 Feb 1920[5]
Stephen Meredyth Edwardes1909 – 1916[5]
H G Gell1902 – 1909[5]
Hartly Kennedy1899 – 1901[5]
R H Vincent1893 – 1898[5]
Col W H Wilson1888 - 1893[5]
Sir Frank Souter[6]14 November 1864 – 3 July 1888

See also

References

  1. Chaware, Dilip (24 November 2003). "How the city police slowly lost its glory". The Times of India. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
  2. https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/comment/slow-death-of-an-institution-111274
  3. Dhar, Raghu Nandan; Rahman, M. (15 September 1989). "We have a good criminal intelligence system: Bombay Police Commissioner Vasant Saraf". India Today. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  4. "The Irani Brothers: Last Two Parsi Police Officers Left in Mumbai - Parsi Khabar". Parsikhbar.net. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
  5. Edwardes, Stephen Meredyth (1924). The Bombay City Police, an Historical Sketch 1672 -1916 (PDF). Oxford Press. pp. 56, 57, 58, 59. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  6. "What is the History of the Mumbai Police?". Togethervcan.in. Retrieved 28 February 2019.
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