Sadanand Vasant Date: New NIA chief and his key role in 26/11 Mumbai attack rescue operation

Sadanand Vasant Date

Sadanand Vasant Date, a 1990-batch IPS officer, has been appointed as the director general of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). According to the personnel ministry order, the appointments committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved Sadanand Vasant Date’s appointment as the chief of the NIA for a tenure up to his superannuation on December 31, 2026.

Sadanand Vasant Date will succeed Dinkar Gupta, who is due to superannuate on March 31.

The top cop played a crucial role in rescue operations during the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. For his big role in the rescue of hostages at the Cama and Albless hospital for women and children, Sadanand Vasant Date was awarded the President’s police medal for gallantry.

Currently serving as the chief of the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), Date is known for his honesty and no-nonsense attitude.

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His illustrious career and work style

Sadanand Vasant Date has served as the first commissioner of the newly formed Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar (MBVV) police formed in 2020. He has also been the joint commissioner of police law and order and joint commissioner of the crime branch in Mumbai city.

His colleagues know Date to be a workaholic officer. A colleague of Date told The Indian Express that when he was with the Economic Offences Wing, the department involved a lot of case files to be read. The officer recalled that Date would reach his office an hour earlier at 8.30am instead of 9.30am. Date did so to ensure that throughout the day, he would not be occupied with reading the case files and would be available to meet people.

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An officer from Maharashtra Police shared an incident with The Indian Express when Date didn’t succumb to political pressure. The officer recalled that when Date was with MBVV, an inspector rank officer wanting to become in-charge of a police station took the help of a minister to pressure Date. Date thought that the inspector was not competent enough to head the police station.

“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.

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