Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Pandey recently announced that he would not be contesting the ongoing Lok Sabha elections despite speculations that he might enter the fray as an independent candidate from the Mumbai North Central Parliamentary Constituency.
In a social media post, Pandey stated that the idea of contesting started as a suggestion from a resident of Vakola but ultimately decided against it. He expressed gratitude for the support he received but noted concerns about potential personal damage due to his candidacy.
Pandey, known to be a close confidante of former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, had served as the Mumbai police Commissioner head for a brief period before his retirement.
After retirement, Pandey faced legal issues and was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the National Stock Exchange (NSE) phone-tapping case. He spent nearly five months behind bars before being granted bail by the Delhi High Court in December 2022 in the money-laundering case.
The BJP has fielded prominent public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, while Congress leader Varsha Gaikwad is contesting from the North Central Mumbai seat.
Pandey concluded his post by expressing gratitude to his supporters and promising that this is not the last they will hear from him.
He signed off as "Tihar return, PMLA accused ex IPS," acknowledging his legal ordeal.
