Sadanand Date, a police hero of 26/11 terror attack, the new NIA chief

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Mar 27, 2024: The 1990 batch IPS officer Dr Sadanand Date appointed as the head of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is known as a no-nonsense officer with a squeaky-clean image. Date was one of the officers who had taken on the terrorists during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai and it was his bravery and presence of mind that had led to rescue of hostages at the Cama and Albless hospital for women and children. The officer was later awarded the President’s police medal for gallantry.

 

Date, currently serving as the chief of the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), has served in several important postings in the past including being the first Commissioner of the newly formed Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police Commissionerate that came up in 2020, Joint commissioner of police Law and Order and later Jt Commissioner of the crime branch in Mumbai city.

Date who holds a doctorate from Pune university, his home town, is also a qualified cost and management accountant from Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICAI).

Officers who have worked with him recall Date as a workaholic and a thorough officer. An officer who worked with him when he was with the Economic Offences Wing said that since that particular department included a lot of case files to be read, Date would reach his office an hour earlier at 8.30 am instead of 9.30 am so that through the day, he was not occupied with reading the case files and was available to meet people.

“Since such a senior officer would reach an hour earlier, all officers had to ensure that they reach on time and were thorough with the paper work as Datta would go through everything with a toothcomb,” an officer recalled.

Another officer said that when the MBVV Police Commissionerate was set up, not many IPS officers were interested in going there as setting up a Commissionerate is a painstaking job requiring a lot of administrative work.

“Date not only agreed to go there, but he set up systems like e-office in place where all files were sent across various departments online to avoid paperwork. What he did three to four years back, the Maharashtra government has asked departments to do now. Even now most Commissionerates are not completely paperless,” the officer said.

Another officer from Maharashtra Police said, “Apart from being clean and good with his work a quality that he has is not bending to political will”. The officer recalled that when Date was with MBVV, an inspector rank officer got a powerful minister from the state government to call Date and asking for the officer to be made in-charge of a police station.

Date did not think the officer was competent enough to head the police station and did not agree. “After the minister called twice, Date called the inspector to this office. He told the officer to either get a written transfer order from the government which he would be duty bound to follow or wait for Date’s tenure to be over before he could try again to become the police station in charge. The message was received,” the officer said.

Courtesy: Indian Express