A day after the Madhya Pradesh government implemented the Commissioner System, senior IPS officers Makrand Deoskar and Harinarayan Chari Mishra were on Friday appointed the first police commissioners of Bhopal and Indore respectively.
Deoskar is a 1997-batch IPS officer while Mishra belongs to the 2003 batch. "A total of 38 police stations in Bhopal and 36 in Indore will be part of the new commissionerates. The state government also appointed additional, deputy, additional deputy and assistant police commissioners in these two cities. The rural areas in the district will be under the charge of respective superintendents of police," a senior official said.
On November 22, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said Bhopal and Indore cities will become police commissionerates with the aim of ensuring effective crime control.
Later, while assuming office, Deoskar told media persons that he has great responsibility of making the Commissioner System, a great success. He stated that ensuring better policing for women and weaker sections of the society would be his priority.
He expressed gratitude towards seniors and the government for relying on him.
Commissioners of both cities will be of IG rank. The Bhopal metropolitan area in the commissionerate system has 38 police stations while Indore has 36.
Under the new system, a commissioner does not have to report to the district magistrate. And, judicial and executive powers - from inquiries to granting permits and permissions - will be shifted to police officers from magistrates.
They have also been vested with powers to grant parole and extern criminals.
Commissioners in both cities will be assisted by an additional commissioner of police (law and order) and additional commissioner of police (crime and headquarters). The additional CP (law and order) will have four deputy commissioners (DCPs) for four zones and a DCP for traffic.
The DCPs would be SP-rank officers, commanding additional DCPs and ACPs for police stations. The additional CP (crime and HQ) will have three DCPs -crime, police HQ, intelligence and security.
The DCP (crime) will have three additional DCPs for crime, crime against women (CAW) and HQ. The DCP-HQ will have a DCP, ACP (HQ and training), ACP data analysis and ACP police lines.
DCP-int and security will have two separate additional DCPs for intelligence and security. A woman officer of SP rank will be posted for women's security and to deal with cases of crimes against women.
Police commissioners will have executive magisterial powers as defined in Section 58 and Chapter 8 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and Chapter 10 (maintaining public order and peace).