Mumbai Police Commissioner Nagrale among the first to respond to 26/11 attack

After hearing gunshots during the attack, he rushed out of his house, saved people and covered a bomb with sandbags to avoid major destruction

The new Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale known for maintaining a low-profile and no-nonsense attitude, was among the first to respond to the 26/11 terror attack. A daredevil officer, he covered a live bomb with sandbags to avoid major destruction.

Hailing from the Vidarbha region, Nagrale is a 1987-batch IPS officer.

He was Special Inspector General attached to the Maharashtra State Electricity Supply Co Ltd in November 2008. As soon as he heard gunshots from the Leopold Café he rushed out of his official residence near Colaba police station and then moved towards the Taj Mahal Hotel.

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Then in plainclothes, rescued several injured people and his work was appreciated. He spotted a suspected live bomb in a bag – and with local policemen covered it with sandbags and then summoned the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad.

As Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) in Mumbai, he drafted the residential quarters allotment policy — a move highly-appreciated by the constabulary.

Nagrale served as Police Commissioner of Navi Mumbai from May 2016 to July 2018 after which he was elevated to Director General (Technical and Legal).

On January 8, this year, he was given the additional charge of Director General of Police after incumbent Sobodh Jaiswal opted for a Central assignment.

From 1998-2002, he was in Central deputation and attached to the CBI and handled cases like the Hardhad Mehta scam, Ketan Parekh scam and Madhavpura Cooperative Bank scam.

Nagrale was also the Staff Officer posted to former DGP SS Puri, who investigated the Telgi stamp paper scandal at the directives of the Bombay High Court.