Senior IPS officer Sadanand Date, now the head of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), is expected to succeed Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla, whose term ends on December 31.

The Maharashtra government has demanded that Sadanand Date, a 1990-batch Indian Police Service officer, be repatriated to the state.

Date, like Shukla, is expected to serve as the state’s chief for two years, concluding in December 2027.

An officer stated that the administration had made it apparent for several months that Date will be the next DGP, as Shukla’s tenure was coming to an end. “The only problem was that the NIA was currently investigating the high-profile Delhi explosion case. However, the state government has expressed a desire to have Date lead the state police,” stated the official.

The officer stated that Date, too, was willing to return to his home state.

Date, known for his squeaky-clean reputation and no-nonsense demeanor, was one of the officers who confronted terrorists during Mumbai’s 26/11 terror strikes. His bravery and presence of thought enabled the rescue of hostages at the Cama and Albless Women’s and Children’s Hospital. The officer was later given the President’s Police Medal for Valour.

Date, who was the chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), has held various key positions. He was the first commissioner of the newly formed Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) Police Commissionerate, which was founded in 2020, first as joint commissioner of police (Law and Order) and later as joint commissioner of the Crime Branch in Mumbai.

Date, who has a doctorate from Pune University in his hometown, is also a trained cost and management accountant with the Institute of Cost Accountants of India.

Shukla, who was named Maharashtra DGP on January 3, 2024, and is scheduled to retire on June 30, the same year, is the first official to be handed a two-year tenure by the state government in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision in the Prakash Singh case.