Special Commissioner Deven Bharti, Welcome!!!
Since we both don’t know each other and I wanted to communicate with you, I thought what better way than an open letter. Let me first begin by congratulating you for your new assignment. It was a surprise to many including top cops in the IPS circles and babus sitting at Mantralaya ,as believe me, very few knew about your appointment. Not many were taken into confidence too before making your appointment and post official! But as you might be aware, my eyes and ears are always open. Had reported almost a month ago that you will become Special Commissioner to Mumbai, none of them took me seriously then. They had said then DB (as you are fondly called) will either go to Pune or Thane as commissioner or he will come to Mantralaya as Principal Secretary or Fadnavis might keep him where he is (Maharashtra State Security Corporation) and let him run the show by keeping behind the curtains. But only I knew (& few of them) that Deven Bharti will be reinstated and in style! Forget who is sending him where, DB you wouldn’t have accepted anything less than a Commissioner’s post, I was told! Now one more future prediction-Once all the cases are finished, even Rashmi Shukla will make a comeback, and that too as DGP-Maharashtra!
So DB sir, my first and foremost appeal to you as a journalist is to remove the fear of your name. There are few favourites which are natural, but the rest aren’t bad either. Every officer be it IPS or state cadre still have fear in their minds when they picture you. Fear is a big word, I would say insecurity! This fear or insecurity is good, but it should be out of respect rather than “Oh god, who will tell him, who will rub him the wrong way, he is too dangerous” (आदरयुक्त दरारा ). I feel the 2004 IPS batch who are now Joint Commissioners are already shitting bricks as they have to report to you now, but most of them are ‘flexible’ they know how to keep themselves in your good books. You are a tough task master and we are confident that you will get things done from them.
See, I have huge respect for current CP Vivek Phansalkar. My second worry is ‘directly bypassing’ him and putting your relations with him in jeopardy. When the name and fame of Mumbai Police was at rock bottom it was this man Phansalkar who in the last 6 months has brought the image up on its legs now. He has also not been into any kind of controversy. In fact his work speaks volumes, his image has only risen since he became the Mumbai CP, and the newly appointed team of DCP’s, Additional CP’s, & Jt CP’s and the HM himself are extremely happy with him. I have a strong feeling that few journalists are already trying to create some kind of friction between you two, but I am sure you will handle this “delicate relationship” between you and Phansalkar with utmost maturity without hurting his self esteem nor lowering yours! My biggest worry is now that you are the Special CP, there will be few ‘special assignments’ given to you directly. You know, not many things remain a ‘secret’ when it comes to IPS’s. Phansalkar won’t ask you, it is up to you as how will you tread this line without spoiling the relations or hurting his self-esteem.
Now, one word of caution for all the IPS officers. You will have to give your 110% and work 24/7 now. If found lethargic or passing the parcel types, you will be replaced within minutes.
My third appeal will be that you along with force and with coordination with the BMC to kindly appoint a person who will only work to control the increasing menace of hawkers selling on roads (entire bandra, Nagpada etc…) and traffic issues of Mumbai. I am sure you will come up with a strategy to tackle this mess our city is in along with clearances of footpaths and vehicles parked on the roads. Also there are talks on nightlife timings to be increased till 3 am. Mumbai is a cosmopolitan city and along with discipline if the night-life timings are increased it will provide a lot of employment and revenue too to the city.
Many were asking me why DB was made Special Commissioner when we had able, honest and performer Vivek Phansalkar doing such a brilliant job? I choose to remain silent, but I assure them now on there will no repeat of Palghar Sadhu’s case, Antillia, Mansukh Kiran, Sushant Singh Rajput, Disha Salian case; God forbid if any of these cases do get repeated, the investigation will be fast paced and there will be JUSTICE delivered within no time, right Mr. DB?
VIKRANT HEMANT JOSHI.
