IPS officers behind major investigations, policing reforms take charge of key posts in Telangana

V.C. Sajjanar

Mahesh M. Bhagwat

The latest reshuffle of senior IPS officers in Telangana has thrown light on some decorated police officials whose careers have been shaped by some of the State’s most closely-watched investigations, anti-Maoist operations, women’s safety initiatives and major policing reforms.

Among them are an officer who led the investigation into the sensational Tollywood drugs case, the architect of SHE Teams, an officer who handled the EAMCET question paper leak probe and a former Cyberabad Police top cop associated with the investigation into the Disha case.

At the centre of the reshuffle is Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, who takes over as Hyderabad Police Commissioner. A 1995-batch IPS officer, Bhagwat has spent much of his career tackling human trafficking and organised exploitation.

During his tenure as Commissioner of Police, Rachakonda, he led efforts to rescue trafficking victims and dismantle networks involved in their exploitation. His work earned him recognition from the US Department of State, which named him a Trafficking in Persons Report Hero in 2017. He has also served in the CID, Intelligence and Railway Police.

His predecessor, V.C. Sajjanar, moves to head the Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence. A 1996-batch officer, Sajjanar has been associated with two high-profile cases that drew considerable public attention. As Superintendent of Police, Warangal, he was in charge when police shot dead three accused in the 2008 acid attack case.

Later, as Cyberabad Police Commissioner, he oversaw the investigation into the 2019 rape and murder of a veterinary doctor, popularly known as the Disha case. The four accused were subsequently killed in a police encounter. Sajjanar will also hold additional charge as DGP, Special Protection Force (SPF).

The reshuffle also brought a change in the leadership of the State’s prisons and women’s safety wings, with Soumya Mishra and Swati Lakra exchanging responsibilities.

Mishra, a 1994-batch officer, moves from the Prisons Department to DGP, Women and Safety, SHE Teams and Bharosa. Her career has included assignments in Maoist-affected districts such as Karimnagar, Warangal, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam.

As IGP, CID, she handled the investigation into the EAMCET question paper leak case. During her tenure as prisons chief, she introduced de-addiction centres, education programmes and vocational training initiatives for inmates.

Lakra, a 1995-batch officer, takes over as Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services. Her most recognisable contribution to policing has been the launch of SHE Teams in Hyderabad on October 24, 2014. The initiative, aimed at addressing harassment of women in public spaces, subsequently expanded across Telangana. She also played a key role in establishing Bharosa centres and a child-friendly court in Hyderabad. Lakra has received the President’s Police Medal and the Ati Utkrisht Seva Padak.

Another significant appointment is that of Charu Sinha as Director General of the Anti-Corruption Bureau. A 1996-batch officer, Sinha has handled several sensitive assignments in the Central Reserve Police Force, including heading its Srinagar sector. She became the first woman IPS officer to lead the CRPF’s Srinagar sector in 2020. In Telangana, she will now lead the ACB while retaining additional charge of the CID.

Akun Sabharwal’s return to a key operational assignment is another notable development. The 2001-batch officer has been appointed Additional DGP, Law and Order, after waiting for a posting. Sabharwal became widely known in 2017 when he headed the Special Investigation Team probing a major drug racket in Hyderabad. The investigation brought several Tollywood personalities under the scanner, with the SIT questioning film personalities as it examined the drug supply network. A dentist by qualification, Sabharwal has also served as Superintendent of Police in Visakhapatnam. He will additionally hold charge of Coordination and Technical Services.

The appointments place officers associated with investigations and initiatives that have had a significant public profile in Telangana in charge of some of the State’s principal policing institutions. The government issued the transfer and posting orders on November 12.