New police chief Hemant Nagrale says the department is going through a very tough phase and is in question, but because of one person, the entire force can’t be blamed
New Mumbai Commissioner of Police Hemant Nagrale at the press conference he held after being appointed. Pic/Shadab Khan
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday transferred Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh and appointed 1987 batch IPS officer Hemant Nagrale to the post.
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Minutes after taking charge, Nagrale held a press conference. Speaking during it, he said, "Mumbai Police is going through a very tough phase. The force is in question, I am thankful to the government of Maharashtra for appointing me Commissioner of Police to resolve the present situation which has embarrassed the entire force. Our image has been maligned because of some bad incident involving a police officer."
"With the help of my force we will regain the glory and pride of Mumbai police. We will reinstate people's faith in the force, which has done some exceptional work during the pandemic and 26/11. Because of one person, one cannot blame the entire force," Nagrale added.
IPS Param Bir Singh was shunted by the state government four days after the arrest of API Sachin Waze, who has been called Singh's blue-eyed boy, as the most important case of Mumbai Police and Crime Branch was handed over to him. On being asked how an API rank officer was given so much power by his predecessor Nagrale said, "The question is imaginary and I am not aware of certain facts so it won't be appropriate for me to comment on it."
On Waze's cases
Asked about the cases that have been investigated by API Waze who was heading the CIU of Mumbai Crime Branch, he said, "The Joint Commissioner, Crime Branch will review the cases and further action will be taken accordingly."
The new commissioner also didn't speak about the arrest of Waze saying that the matter was being investigated by NIA and ATS, and the guilty will be punished. "It's not appropriate for me to comment on it. We will provide full cooperation to the investigating agencies," he added.
Former Commissioner Param Bir Singh who has been appointed DG Home Guard, left the Commissioner's office at around 5pm without official handover to Nagrale. He did not even meet all the joint commissioners before leaving.
DGP ACB Rajneesh Seth has been given additional charge of Maharashtra DGP, which Nagrale handled until he was appointed Commissioner of Mumbai Police. Seth is a 1988 batch officer and a rank junior to Nagrale. So the head of the Maharashtra police force is junior to the Mumbai police commissioner. When asked about this, Nagrale said, "I am not the right person to answer that, please ask the concerned competent authority. Is it right for me to answer?"
A much-decorated officer
Nagrale is an IPS officer from the 1987 Batch of Maharashtra Cadre. An engineer and management post-graduate, Nagrale has secured a black belt in Judo, as well.
His first assignment (1989-92), was in the naxalite-affected Chandrapur District as Assistant Superintendent of Police, Rajura. As DCP, Nagrale (1992-94), was instrumental in the creation of the new police commissionerate of Solapur. He successfully controlled the post-Babri Masjid demolition communal riots in Solapur city in 1992.
During his tenure as SP, Ratnagiri (1994-1996), he handled the land acquisition problem related to Enron/Dabhol Power Corporation. As SP, CID, Crime (1996-1998) he investigated the MPSC paper leakage case which was spread to several parts of Maharashtra, and the Anjanabai Gavit-multiple children kidnapping and murder cases. This case ended with a verdict of capital punishment by the Supreme Court.
Handled prominent cases
Nagrale was previously on deputation to CBI in Mumbai as well as New Delhi. He supervised and completed the investigations of several cases like the Ketan Parekh Scam, Madhavpura Co-op Bank Scam and Harshad Mehta Cases in 2001. His service, as the staff officer of SS Puri, who was appointed DGP, SIT probing Telgi Stamp Paper Scam as directed by Bombay High Court, was highly commended for detailed research and matching scrutiny. Nagrale was previously posted in Mumbai as Additional Commissioner of Police Crime, and East Region and Joint Commissioner (Administration).
He played an important role during the 26/11 attacks as he had recovered a bag containing RDX in south Mumbai, which he shifted to a safer place. Despite being on deputation to MSEDCL, Nagrale helped shift the injured and the dead to a nearby hospital during the terrorist attack. On the lookout for suspicious objects, he spotted and inspected an RDX filled bag and personally moved it to a safe place and summoned the Bomb Disposal Squad. He and four policemen entered Hotel Taj Mahal where they helped move a number of the injured and dead and shifted them to hospital. He also helped rescue hundreds of people trapped in the shopping plaza at Hotel Taj.
From May 2016 to July 2018 he was posted as Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai. He was elevated to DG rank in October 2018 and entrusted with responsibility of looking after the Forensic Science Laboratories in the state. After this he was given additional charge of Maharashtra Director General of Police in January 2021 and continued to hold the position till he was appointed Commissioner of Mumbai police.
Education and interests
Nagrale studied at Bhadrawati in Chandrapur district in a Zilla Parishad School. After that he shifted to Patwardhan High School, Nagpur. He has a BE (Mechanical) From VRCE Nagpur (now VNIT) and is a post graduate in Finance Management from the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies (JBIMS), Mumbai.
Nagrale has received the President’s Police Medal, Vishesh Seva Padak and Antarik Suraksha Padak. He is an avid golfer and tennis player besides being a black belt in Judo and has won medals at the All India Police Games.
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