26/11 Hero Sadanand Date Appointed As New DGP Of Maharashtra
Date headed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) previously, will take charge on Janaury 3
Mumbai: Dr Sadanand Date, widely regarded as one of the heroes of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, will be Maharashtra’s new Direct General of Police. The Maharashtra Government on Wednesday appointed the former National Investigation Agency (NIA) director general as state DGP on a two-year term.
The home department of the Maharashtra government on Wednesday issued an order, appointing Date as the new head of the state police force. Date, a 1990 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, will take over from incumbent Rashmi Shukla when she steps down on January 3.
Date, 59, has been serving as the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) since April 1, 2024 and was recently repatriated to the Maharashtra cadre. The Appointments Committee of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved his premature repatriation of his parent cadre.
Date is one of the top IPS officers of Maharashtra Police who countered terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the Mumbai terror attacks. On November 26, 2008, he was serving as Additional Commissioner of Police (Central Region), when he led a police team that cornered Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorists Ajmal Kasab and Abu Ismail on the rooftop of Cama Hospital.
Despite suffering serious injuries from grenade splinters, Date continued to confront the terrorists during the operation. For his bravery during the attacks, Date was awarded the President’s Police Medal for Gallantry.
Date, who was Maharashtra ATS chief, also served as the Commissioner of Police for Mira-Bhayandar and Vasai-Virar city near Mumbai. Within the Mumbai Police, he has held key positions as Joint Commissioner of Police for Law and Order and Crime.
At the central level, Date has served as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) in the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and as Inspector General (Operations) in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). Most recently, he headed the National Investigation Agency.
Born in a humble family in Pune, Date lost his father at the age of 15 years and saw his mother work as a cook for several years. To support his mother, Date started selling newspapers for almost 10 years to support his education in school and college. He has done doctorate in economic offences from Pune university.