Mumbai Joint CP Deven Bharti transferred on EC’s order

Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) Deven Bharti was transferred on Sunday after the Election Commission (EC) asked the Maharashtra government to shift him, an official said.

Vinoy Kumar Choubey, a 1995 batch IPS officer, replaced Bharti who in turn was made Joint Commissioner of Police (Economic Offences Wing), a post held by the former.

The Maharashtra government had earlier sent a proposal to EC to allow Bharti to continue on the post, but it was rejected.

The EC directed the state government on Saturday to shift Bharti following which he was transferred, said a senior official.

According to the EC circular dated January 16, "no officer connected directly with the elections shall be allowed to continue in the present district of posting, if he/she has completed three years in that district during last four years".

Bharti became the city's joint commissioner of police (law and order) in April 2015 and was the longest serving officer on the post.

Bharti, a 1994-batch Indian Police Service officer, conducted investigations in several high-profile cases, including the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack and journalist J Dey's killing.

He was also instrumental in breaking the backbone of terror outfit Indian Mujahideen in the state.