Former Mumbai police chief Pandey, arrested in 2022 NSE case, joins Congress

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey joins Congress ahead of Maharashtra Assembly election, citing secular values and family-like atmosphere.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey, who was arrested in 2022 in connection with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) co-location scam, formally joined the Congress on Thursday (September 19, 2024). His move comes ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election.

He joined the grand old party in the presence of its Mumbai unit chief and Lok Sabha MP Varsha Gaikwad and other leaders. “I’m not joining a party but a family. I wanted to join the Congress way back in 2004 but didn’t get the chance,” Mr. Pandey said, adding that he was a believer in secularism and the Congress was the only political party that genuinely upheld secular values.

The 1986-batch IPS officer, who briefly served as Maharashtra’s acting Director General of Police, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in 2022 for his alleged involvement in the illegal phone tapping of NSE employees. The tapping was said to be linked to a company he had founded.

Speaking to the media, Mr. Pandey expressed confidence that the Opposition bloc Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) would come back to power and protect the interests of ordinary citizens. “As a former Police Commissioner, I know firsthand how false cases were brought against me,” he said.