Maha polls: EC removes state police chief Rashmi Shukla over alleged bias

Mumbai, Nov 4 : Just two weeks before Maharashtra Assembly elections, state police chief Rashmi Shukla was removed by the Election Commission of India on Monday amid Maha Vikas Aghadi’s allegations that she was favouring the BJP.

Shukla, an IPS of 1998 batch and the first woman to appointed as Maharashtra State Director General of Police (DGP), has been shown the door within 11 months of her appointment in January, a government source said.

Accusing her of bias, the Congress and its allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi had mounted pressure for her removal for fair and transparent elections.

The Congress last week had cited the example of ECI’s decision to shift removed the Jharkhand DGP ahead of Assembly elections and questioned why Shukla was allowed to continue in her post in Maharashtra.

The Mahayuti government had appointed Shukla as state DGP till January 2026 though she was set to retire in June this year.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Nana Patole and Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut last week reiterated their demand for the immediate removal of DGP Shukla.

Patole alleged that Shukla was a controversial officer who had sided with the BJP, and with her in office, there were doubts about the elections being conducted fairly and transparently.

The state Congress chief said, “When the BJP requested the removal of the DGPs in West Bengal and Jharkhand, they were promptly replaced, but the Election Commission has not yet removed Maharashtra’s DGP.’’

‘’Is there a different law for Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Maharashtra? For a fair and transparent election, Shukla should be immediately removed,’’ he added.

The Congress leader alleged Shukla had instructed police commissioners and district police officers to file cases against opposition leaders and harass them.

“Shukla’s is not new to controversies, as she was involved in the phone tapping of Opposition leaders,’’ claimed Patole.

Patole recalled that in letters to the Election Commission written on September 24, 2024, and October 4, 2024 he had demanded Shukla’s removal.

‘’On September 27, when Election Commission officials were on a visit to Mumbai, a Congress delegation had also raised the demand to remove DGP Rashmi Shukla,’’ he said.