Mumbai: In a significant legal reprieve for former Mumbai Police Commissioner and former Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey (Retd IPS:1986:MH), the Bombay High Court on May 20, 2026 annulled an FIR lodged against him concerning allegations of intimidation and submission of fabricated complaints.
The FIR had alleged that Pandey supposedly pressured a businessman into submitting false complaints against Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. The High Court also set aside the FIR against advocate and former special public prosecutor Shekhar Jagtap along with other individuals named in the matter.
Allegations Against Sanjay Pandey
The matter was registered in Thane in 2024 after a complaint by a businessman who claimed that Sanjay Pandey had reopened a case against him and forced him into giving false statements and submitting fabricated complaints against senior political figures in Maharashtra.
According to the complainant, pressure was allegedly applied during Pandey’s tenure to advance politically sensitive accusations involving top state leadership.
High Court Sets Aside FIR
During the proceedings, Sanjay Pandey’s counsel, advocate Rahul Kamerkar, contended that there was an unexplained delay in filing the FIR and challenged the credibility and timing of the accusations.
After hearing the case, the Bombay High Court set aside the FIR against Pandey, Shekhar Jagtap and others, granting substantial relief to the former IPS officer.
The detailed remarks of the court are awaited.
About Ex-IPS Sanjay Pandey
Mr Pandey, born around 1962 in UP, is a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre and an alumnus of IIT Kanpur, where he earned his B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering (1979–1983), followed by a Master’s in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (1998–1999).
Recognized for his strict policing approach, he gained prominence for preserving peace in Dharavi during the 1992–93 Mumbai riots and managing high-profile matters like the “cobbler scam.” Mr Pandey resigned in 2000, worked in the corporate sector as Global Head of Cyber Security at Tata Consultancy Services, and established iSec Services Private Limited in 2003, before returning to the police service in 2011. Rising through senior ranks, he served as acting DGP of Maharashtra in 2021 and as Mumbai Police Commissioner in 2022 until his retirement in June 2022.
After retirement, he joined the Congress party in 2024 and declared his intention to contest elections. Pandey has been linked to several controversies, including his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in the NSE phone-tapping and money-laundering case, for which he spent nearly five months in judicial custody. Recently, a special investigation report by outgoing DGP Rashmi Shukla accused him of attempting to falsely implicate Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde in the 2016 Urban Land Ceiling (ULC) scam, triggering renewed political and legal scrutiny.
Sanjay Pandey’s career has been defined by high-profile assignments and controversies:
DGP Maharashtra & Mumbai Police Commissioner: Appointed acting DGP in April 2021, later removed in February 2022. Retired in June 2022.
Earlier Arrests: In 2022, Pandey was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the NSE phone tapping and money laundering case, spending five months in judicial custody.
Political Career: Joined the Congress Party in 2024 with intentions to contest Maharashtra Assembly elections.
Sanjay Pandey’s Career
Sanjay Pandey, a 1986-batch IPS officer of the Maharashtra cadre, served as the Commissioner of Mumbai Police and later retired as Maharashtra DGP. Throughout his long administrative career, he occupied several important policing and intelligence roles in the state.
The matter had attracted substantial public and political attention because of the allegations involving senior political leaders and the former Mumbai Police chief.