Khandwawala is new Gujarat Police chief:Saikia Ahmedabad’s top cop

Shabbir Hussain Shekhadam Khandwawala(Director, Anti Corruption Bureau,Ahmedabad) is new Gujarat Police chief according to a notification released on Gujarat’s Home department website. Khandwawala a 1973 Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and a Bohra Muslim by faith, will replace exiting Gujarat Police chief P.C.Pande.

The notification mentions that the decision has been taken according to order by the Election Commission of India’s 4th February and State Election Commission’s 6th February letters to the Government of Gujarat.

P.C.Pande will be replacing Khandwawala and take charge of Director, Anti Corruption Bureau office at Ahmedabad according to the notification. Pande is going to retire in month of March this year. Khandwala is second most senior IPS officer after Pande in Gujarat.

In another development, Ahmedabad Police Commissioner O.P.Mathur has been transferred and appointed as a Commissioner(Communication) in Gandhinagar. He will be replacing S.K.Saikia who has been transferred appointed as a Police Commissioner of Ahmedabad. (In photo:S.S.Khandwawala)

Fast facts about S.S.Khandwawala

-Khandwawala(58) is an IPS officer of 1973 batch. He started his career in Gujarat as an IPS probationer in Mehsana district. Later, he served as DSP in Mangrol, Porbandar, Valsad and Surendranagar districts. Khandwawala has also served as the ADC to the Governor of Gujarat. After his stint as DSP Surendranagar, Khandwawala was posted in Ahmedabad as the deputy commissioner of police, traffic, and he stayed at this post for four years.

-A post-graduate in Organic Chemistry, Khandwawala has been awarded the police medal and the president’s medal for meritorious service and the medal for distinguished service. In 1998, when he was a DCP, Khandwawala had arrested Abdul Latif from his residence.

-Khandwawala is a member of the Spreme Court appointed cell to review cases related to the 2002 riots in Gujarat. The cell submits a quarterly report to the Supreme Court. Khandwawala had applied for voluntary retirement in 2007 to take up a job in the private sector(Essar). The state government, however rejected his application.

-In the late 1970s, Khandwawala busted the ‘Sansi-gang’ that operated in Gujarat from Delhi. Khandwawala arrested many gang members from Delhi. Members of the gang were ery active in Ahmedabad at that time, and had committed many thefts and burglaries.

-Khandwawala was accused of beating up and severely injuring while in custody one Meraj Sutreja, a Junagadh youth, in 1976 during the emergency. Sutreja had been arrested on the charge of keeping illegal arms. A case was filed against Khandwawala and the trial court convicted him of bearing up Sutreja. He was sentenced to a prison term but, later, the Gujarat High Court set aside the trail court’s order.

-Not many people know that Khandwawala is an accomplished writer too; 20 of his short stories have been published in various magazines. One of his stories, ‘Gangu’, has been turned into a film as well.

-Khanwawala’s wife Alka is Nagar Brahmin Hindu. Khandwawala’s daughter-in-law is Sikh.

-When asked what is the first task he plans to undertake after becoming Gujarat Police chief? Khandwawala replied “Building police-public relationship will be primary focus. For cops, we’ll conduct etiquette-training workshops at every level and organise welfare programmes. To build their rapport with people, we shall be sending them on tour to select destinations, where they stay and interact with people.”

– When asked about the biggest challenge for him as a Police chief of Gujarat Khandwawala siad “Terrorism, of course. Crime detection and prevention is top on priority. We are planning to deploy marine commando force across the coastal belt. Additional units of commandoes will be deployed across the state.”