18 hours Ago By Harsh Trivedi
Deven Bharti, a 1994-batch IPS officer, becomes Mumbai's Police Commissioner after Vivek Phansalkar’s retirement. Known for his operational expertise, Bharti’s appointment, amid a rank downgrade, signals political backing and uncertainty over the future of the Special Commissioner post. Mumbai: In a significant shake-up within Maharashtra’s policing hierarchy, senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Deven Bharti has been appointed the new Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, following Vivek Phansalkar’s retirement.
A 1994-batch IPS officer currently serving at the rank of Additional Director General (ADG), Bharti brings to the helm nearly three decades of hands-on experience in policing, most of it deeply entrenched in Mumbai’s complex urban terrain. At 56, he is expected to be elevated to the rank of Director General (DG) by August and is due to retire in 2028. To accommodate Bharti’s appointment, the Maharashtra government took the unusual step of officially downgrading the post of Commissioner, which had for more than 15 years been reserved for DG-rank officers.
This adjustment not only underscores Bharti’s standing within the administration but also reflects the government’s intent to place trusted leadership at the top of Mumbai Police. Who is Deven Bharti? All you need to know about Mumbai’s new Police Commissioner Born in Darbhanga, Bihar, Bharti is an alumnus of the Delhi School of Economics, where he completed his postgraduate studies. Known for his operational acumen and deep familiarity with Mumbai’s law and order landscape, he has held several key posts throughout his career.
These positions include serving as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Zone 7 and the Crime Branch, Additional Commissioner of the Crime Branch, and Joint Commissioner (Law and Order), a role he held during Devendra Fadnavis’s first term as Chief Minister. Faced multiple inquiries during MVA’s rule in Maharashtra He has also served as Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) for the state of Maharashtra and later headed the state’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). Bharti’s career, however, was not without its setbacks.
During the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, he was transferred to the Maharashtra State Security Corporation and faced certain inquiries and legal complaints, all of which have since been cleared. Close and trusted aide of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis With Bharti now appointed as Commissioner, the future of the Special Commissioner role remains uncertain. The government has yet to announce whether the position will be retained once he is elevated to DG rank.
Click for more latest Mumbai news . Also get top headlines and latest news from India and around the world at News9. Harsh Trivedi, working as a Senior Sub Editor at TV9 Network primarily covers news updates from 8 major cosmopolitan cities.
Harsh is a language agnostic journalist who is committed to ethical, credible, factual and responsible journalism through his research-driven stories. He talks about ‘Free Press’ and its significance for a free and functional democracy. In his 4.
5-year-long TV & Digital journalism journey, Harsh is experienced in covering politics, crime & sports for some of the country’s leading media outlets including Network 18, ITV - NewsX, and The Free Press Journal, with an added experience of on-ground coverage from Madhya Pradesh & Chhattisgarh during the 2023-Five State Vidhan Sabha Elections. Latest News.
