Mumbai gets new police commissioner

Sivanandan was replaced by Additional Director General (special operations) Sanjeev Dayal. Sivanandan succeeds Anami Roy, who retired on Monday.

Sivanandan, a 1976 batch IPS officer, outdid Gafoor, who is the Director General of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) and one who was considered the front-runner for the top job.
Gafoor is an officer of the 1974 IPS batch and was the Mumbai Police Commissioner during the 26/11 terror attacks. His leadership during the attacks came under severe flak from the Pradhan inquiry panel, which led to his shunting from the Mumbai chief’s post to a less important post of ADG,  Police Housing, on June 12, 2009.

Again, it was Sivanandan, who was then the state intelligence chief, who replaced him as the commissioner.

Gafoor was recently rehabilitated as the DG of ACB, but could not make it to the top post of the state police.

Roy too was the DGP of the state during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai. He was removed in February 2009 after a Mumbai High Court order ruled that his appointment was invalid on the basis of seniority.

Roy was then replaced by S S Virk, whose term expired in a short time, and Roy was back in the saddle.