Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar vs DSP Anjali Krishna: What happened in Solapur? Who is the young IPS officer?

DSP Anjali Krishna and Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar.

A young woman IPS officer has found herself at the centre of a controversy after a heated exchange with Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar during an investigation into illegal soil excavation in Solapur district. The officer, DSP Anjali Krishna, allegedly refused to recognise Pawar’s voice on a phone call, which led to an argument between the two.

The confrontation happened in Karmala village of Solapur, where Krishna was leading a probe into the illegal excavation of murum (red soil) allegedly being used for a road construction project.

What happened?

During the inspection, NCP leader Baba Jagtap tried to intervene and asked the officer to stop her action. To put pressure on her, he connected a call to Deputy CM Ajit Pawar and handed the phone to Krishna.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Ajit Pawar — Narendra Modi’s favourite man because of his infamous ₹70,000 crore corruption — is now threatening a DSP who was taking action against illegal mining.

“Na khaaunga, Na khaane dunga” was just another jumla.pic.twitter.com/Y2UMdXKNO6

— Saral Patel (@SaralPatel) September 5, 2025

On the call, Pawar was heard saying: “Listen, I am the deputy chief minister and I order you to stop this.” However, Krishna, unable to identify who was speaking, asked for clarity. She replied: “How can I know who is talking? Can you call me directly on my number?”

Pawar, who raised his voice and replied: “How dare you? I will take action against you. At least you will recognise my face, won’t you?” Pawar then allegedly switched to a video call, showing himself to the officer. Krishna explained that she could not recognise his voice on the phone.

The video of this exchange quickly went viral. Opposition leaders accused Pawar of misusing his position to shield illegal activities. An FIR has since been registered at Kurduwadi police station against 10–15 NCP workers, including Jagtap, for obstructing a government official from performing her duty.

Who is Anjali Krishna?

DSP Anjali Krishna is a 2022-23 batch officer of the UPSC Civil Services. She hails from Kerala, where her father runs a business in Thiruvananthapuram and her mother works as a typist in a local court.

According to a report by News18, she studied at St Mary’s Central School, Poojappura, and later graduated in Mathematics from HHMSPB NSS College for Women, Neeramankara. She secured an All India Rank of 355 in the UPSC exams, earning praise for her dedication, discipline, and integrity. Currently, she serves as Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Karmala, Solapur.

Ajit Pawar’s clarification

As the heated argument turned into a major controversy grew, Ajit Pawar issued a clarification. In a post on X, he said his intention was not to interfere with law enforcement but to prevent the situation from worsening. “I remain firmly committed to transparent governance and to ensuring that illegal activities, including sand and soil mining, are dealt with as per law,” he said.

Meanwhile, NCP state president Sunil Tatkare said the video had been deliberately leaked. He argued that Ajit Pawar’s words may have been intended only to calm party workers and not to completely halt police action.