India, May 1 -- Deven Bharti, 56, a 1994-batch IPS officer, known for his investigative skills, took charge as the new commissioner of Mumbai police on Thursday.

Bharti, who will retire in 2028, succeeds Vivek Phansalkar. He will be the first additional director-general in a decade to head the city's police force. Usually, the commissioner's position is occupied by a DG-rank officer. From January 2023 though, Bharti has been serving as special CP, a lateral position especially created for him by then home minister Devendra Fadnavis.

The officer, originally from Darbhanga, studied at the Delhi School of Economics before joining the IPS. In his long stint in the city, he has come to know well the innards of Mumbai. He has served variously...