On Mumbai police chief Vivek Phansalkar last day, senior officers extend a farewell. Here's all about the pulling-out ceremony

Indian Express

30-04-2025

As Vivek Phansalkar's tenure as the Mumbai police chief ended Wednesday, he got into an open jeep covered with orange and yellow garlands and laden with flowers of different hues at the parade ground in Naigaon, where the rank and file of the force assembled.
After a while, senior police officers, including the new Mumbai police Commissioner, Deven Bharti, ceremonially pulled the vehicle with the two ropes tied to it — carrying out the 'pulling out' ceremony.
The 'pulling out' ceremony, where an outgoing senior officer is given the honour, is a military tradition dating back several decades.
Mumbai police historian Deepak Rao said S G Pradhan, who headed the force between 1970 and 73, was the first city police chief to adopt the tradition. 'Since then, whenever the DGP or a police unit chief like the Mumbai police commissioner retires, the tradition has continued,' he said.
Rao added that as the jeep goes ahead, the tune of Auld Lang Syne, a Scottish song usually sung to bid farewell, is played.
A Mumbai police officer said junior officers assemble at the parade ground in Naigaon on the final day of the outgoing commissioner, who then meets them, waves out from his jeep, and the 'pulling out' ceremony follows.
'We jokingly say that since officers in powerful positions try to remain longer in the post, the 'pulling out' ceremony is indicative of him being pulled out by juniors so that a new person can come in,' said a retired Indian Police Service (IPS) officer.
Another officer said that after the ceremony at the parade ground, the commissioner goes back to the Mumbai police headquarters, and eventually hands over the charge to the next person in the evening. The officer then leaves for his residence in the official vehicle one last time with a pilot vehicle ahead.
The officer said only the Maharashtra director general of police and the Mumbai police commissioner were given the honour earlier. 'Now, chiefs of other police units like Pune and Nagpur are also given the ceremonial gesture,' added the officer.
In recent times, the honour has also been extended to senior officers who were transferred to rural areas, when they wear colourful turbans, with locals throwing flowers, and pulling their vehicles. Videos of a few such farewells have been widely shared on social media.
Later, this prompted DGP Rashmi Shukla to write to police units to avoid this pomp and ceremony in case of routine transfers.