Who Is New Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti? Know All About 1994-Batch IPS Officer’s Journey

Senior IPS officer Deven Bharti on Wednesday has been appointed as the new Mumbai Commissioner of Police replacing Vivek Phansalkar who retired on the same day after a nearly three-year term. Bharti’s appointment marked a return to the centre of power for the 1994-batch officer, who was once reportedly sidelined during the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) regime.

Deven Bharti, a native of Darbhanga in Bihar and a graduate of the Delhi School of Economics, is well-known as one of the most experienced officers in Maharashtra police force. With a career spanning over three decades, he has handled several key positions including Joint Commissioner of Police (Law & Order), Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch), and Chief of Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS).

Notably, Bharti played a pivotal role in investigating the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks and has been instrumental in cracking down on terror groups like the Indian Mujahideen. He also oversaw probes into high-profile cases such as the murder of investigative journalist J Dey.

Bharti was once one of the most powerful officers in the state’s police setup and during Devendra Fadnavis’ previous tenure as Chief Minister, Bharti was in charge of over 90 police stations across Mumbai as Joint CP.

However, his career trajectory shifted during the MVA government’s rule from 2019 to 2022. He was moved to the Maharashtra State Security Corporation (MSSC). 

In 2023, the Mahayuti government led by Fadnavis created the new post of Special Commissioner of Police for Mumbai and Deven Bharti was appointed.