Senior IPS officer Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat has been posted as the new Hyderabad Police Commissioner, replacing V.C. Sajjanar, as part of a Telangana government reshuffle involving 21 IPS officers. The appointments and transfers were issued on Thursday, November 12, in Government Order Rt No. 1654, according to reports citing the order.
Bhagwat, a 1995-batch IPS officer, was serving as Director General of Police (Law and Order) before the new posting. The reshuffle also assigns new responsibilities to senior officers across law and order, fire and disaster response, women’s safety, prisons, anti-corruption and transport-related functions.
What is Mahesh Bhagwat’s new role?
Bhagwat has been posted as Commissioner of Police, Hyderabad, in place of V.C. Sajjanar. The government order is reported as G.O.Rt.No.1654, dated November 12, 2026. The announcement establishes the posting; it does not, by itself, provide details of a separate handover ceremony or the date on which the new commissioner formally assumed charge.
Where has V.C. Sajjanar been transferred?
Sajjanar, a 1996-batch IPS officer who was serving as Hyderabad Police Commissioner, has been posted as Director General, Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence. He has also been given full additional charge of the Director General, Special Protection Force, Hyderabad, until further orders.
Who are the other senior officers affected by the reshuffle?
The reported changes include the following key postings:
- Dr Soumya Mishra: Posted as DGP, Women and Safety, SHE Teams and Bharosa, Hyderabad. She is also assigned additional charge of DGP, Organisation and DGP (Legal).
- Swati Lakra: Posted as Director General of Prisons and Correctional Services, with additional responsibility for Home Guards.
- Charu Sinha: Posted as Director General, Anti-Corruption Bureau, while retaining additional charge of DGP, CID.
- Akun Sabharwal: Posted as ADGP (Law and Order), with additional charge of Coordination and Technical Services (T-Spark).
- Dr Anil Kumar: Posted as Vice-Chairman and Managing Director of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation.
- Y. Nagi Reddy: Posted as Commissioner, Civil Supplies.
- Vikram Singh Mann: Posted as DGP (Operations), Greyhounds and Octopus.
- M. Stephen Raveendra: Posted as Director, Telangana Traffic Management, Road and Rail Safety Bureau.
The reported order also covers postings and additional responsibilities for several other officers, taking the total number of IPS officers transferred or posted in the exercise to 21.
What does the appointment mean for Hyderabad policing?
The Commissioner of Police heads the Hyderabad City Police and oversees policing across the city commissionerate. The posting places Bhagwat in charge of that organisation, while Sajjanar moves to the state-level fire, disaster response and emergency civil-defence portfolio. The government has not, in the material reviewed for this report, announced a separate policy programme or operational changes accompanying the personnel reshuffle.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the new Hyderabad Police Commissioner?
Mahesh Muralidhar Bhagwat, a 1995-batch IPS officer, has been posted as Hyderabad Police Commissioner, replacing V.C. Sajjanar.
Which government order announced the IPS reshuffle?
The reshuffle is reported under Telangana Government Order Rt No. 1654, dated November 12, 2026.
What is V.C. Sajjanar’s new posting?
He has been posted as Director General, Telangana Fire, Disaster Response, Emergency and Civil Defence, and given additional charge of the Special Protection Force.
