Mumbai Bureau: Veteran IPS officer Brijesh Singh has been appointed principal secretary in chief minister Eknath Shinde’s office. The appointment assumes significance since it is the first time in recent years that a senior IPS officer has been appointed in the CMO.
Singh, posted as additional director general of police (home guards), is believed to be close to deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. CM has appointed Singh on the recommendation of Fadnavis.
An IPS officer of the 1996 batch, Singh was one of the most powerful police officers during the tenure of Fadnavis. He was then the director general of information and public relations in addition to being in-charge of the cyber crime branch which directly reported to the chief secretary. When Fadnavis lost power and Uddhav Thackeray took over the reins in November 2019, several high-ranking IPS officials close to Fadnavis were shunted out and given insignificant assignments. While Singh was appointed additional director general (home guards), Deven Bharti, who led the ATS, was appointed joint managing director, Maharashtra State Security Corporation, while a few, including Naval Bajaj and Manoj Sharma, took up central deputation posts.
Singh also worked as DCP in Nagpur.
