Mahesh Bhagwat appointed Hyderabad Police Commissioner in Telangana IPS reshuffle
Synopsis
Telangana has carried out one of its largest IPS reshuffles in recent memory, with 21 officers moved across sensitive portfolios. The headline appointment: 1995-batch IPS officer Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat as Hyderabad's new Police Commissioner, stepping into one of south India's most watched law-enforcement roles.
Key Takeaways
Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat , a 1995-batch IPS officer , has been appointed Police Commissioner of Hyderabad by the Telangana government on 12 November 2026 .
Sajjanar , who moves to Director General of Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence .
The reshuffle covers 21 IPS officers across police and administrative departments.
Senior women officers Soumya Mishra , Swati Lakra , and Charu Sinha have been given new assignments spanning prisons, women's safety, ACB, and CID.
Anil Kumar moves from Greyhounds operations to head the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation as Vice-Chairman and Managing Director.
The Telangana government on Thursday, 12 November appointed senior IPS officer Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat as the new Police Commissioner of Hyderabad, capping a sweeping reshuffle that moved 21 IPS officers across the state's police and administrative departments.
Key Appointment: Bhagwat Takes Charge
Bhagwat, a 1995-batch IPS officer, was serving as Director General of Police (Law and Order) prior to his elevation as Police Commissioner. He succeeds V. C. Sajjanar, who has been transferred and posted as Director General of Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence. Sajjanar will also hold additional charge of Director General, Special Protection Force (SPF).
Senior Women Officers Reshuffled Across Key Roles
Soumya Mishra, who was Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, has been transferred and posted as DGP, Women and Safety, SHE Teams and Bharosa. She has also been placed in full additional charge of the posts of Director General of Police, Organisation and Director General of Police (Legal).
Swati Lakra, previously Director General of Police, Organisation and Home Guards and DG, SPF, moves to Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, while also holding full additional charge of Director General of Police, Home Guards.
Charu Sinha, DGP, CID — who was holding full additional charge of DGP, Women and Safety, SHE Teams and Bharosa and Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) — has been posted as Director General, ACB, with full additional charge of the post of DGP, CID.
Other Notable Transfers in the Reshuffle
Anil Kumar, Director General of Police (Operations), Greyhounds and Octopus, has been posted as Vice-Chairman and Managing Director, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, Hyderabad, succeeding Y. Nagi Reddy.
Y. Nagi Reddy has in turn been posted as Commissioner, Civil Supplies and Principal Secretary to Government, Consumer Affairs, Food and Civil Supplies Department. He will also hold full additional charge of Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Civil Supplies Corporation and act as Controller of Legal Metrology.
Stephen Raveendra has been posted as Director, Telangana Traffic Management, Road and Rail Safety Bureau (TG-TMARS). Sanjay Kumar Jain, Additional Director General of Police, Telangana Special Police (TGSP), has been placed in full additional charge of Additional Director General of Police, Training.
Vikram Singh Mann has been posted as Director General of Police (Operations), Greyhounds and Octopus, and also holds full additional charge of Director General of Police, Police Housing Corporation. Akun Sabharwal, who was awaiting posting, has been appointed Additional Director General of Police (L&O), with full additional charge of ADGP, Coordination and ADGP, Technical Services (T-Spark).
Scale and Significance of the Reshuffle
This is one of the larger IPS reshuffles in Telangana in recent times, touching the state's most operationally sensitive portfolios — including law and order, counter-insurgency (Greyhounds), anti-corruption, women's safety, and prisons. The simultaneous movement of multiple DGP-rank officers signals a deliberate recalibration of the state police command structure by the government. Notably, Hyderabad's Police Commissioner is among the most high-profile postings in south Indian policing, given the city's size, economic importance, and law-and-order complexity. How Bhagwat shapes the city's policing priorities will be closely watched.
Point of View
Prisons, and women's safety portfolios is also notable, suggesting an attempt to consolidate accountability in those units. What remains to be seen is whether these structural changes translate into measurable outcomes on the ground, particularly in Hyderabad's historically complex law-and-order landscape.
NationPress
12 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the new Police Commissioner of Hyderabad?
Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, a 1995-batch IPS officer who was previously serving as Director General of Police (Law and Order), has been appointed the new Police Commissioner of Hyderabad by the Telangana government on 12 November 2026.
Who did Mahesh Bhagwat replace as Hyderabad Police Commissioner?
Bhagwat succeeds V. C. Sajjanar, who has been transferred and posted as Director General of Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence, with additional charge of Director General, Special Protection Force (SPF).
How large was the Telangana IPS reshuffle on 12 November 2026?
The Telangana government transferred 21 IPS officers in a single order, covering key positions across law and order, Greyhounds, anti-corruption, prisons, women's safety, traffic management, and civil supplies.
What new roles were given to senior women IPS officers in the reshuffle?
Soumya Mishra was posted as DGP, Women and Safety, SHE Teams and Bharosa; Swati Lakra moved to Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services; and Charu Sinha was posted as Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) with additional charge of DGP, CID.
Why is the Hyderabad Police Commissioner appointment significant?
Hyderabad is one of India's largest and fastest-growing metropolitan cities, making the Police Commissioner role among the most consequential in south Indian policing. The appointment of Bhagwat, with a law-and-order background, signals the government's operational priorities for the city.
