Sandeep Karnik

Sandeep Karnik is an Indian police service officer from the 2004 batch, currently serving as the Commissioner of Police Nashik. Appointed by the Maharashtra government, he took charge in November 2023. Sandeep Karnik also held the position of Joint Commissioner of Police in Pune, starting in April 2022. Before this, he served as the Superintendent of Pune Rural Police.

Early life & education

Sandeep Karnik completed his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics from University of Mumbai, an MBA in Marketing, and a Master’s in Police Management.
Currently serving as the Commissioner of Police, Nashik City, he assumed office in November 2023. He served in districts such as Ahmednagar, Thane, Nagpur, Jalna, and Nanded before being appointed as the Superintendent of Police for Pune Rural.

Career

He has held several executive positions and has extensive experience in law enforcement. In his tenure as Nashik Police Commissioner, he gained recognition for his citizen-friendly initiatives and role in curbing drug-related activities.
In March 2024, the Maharashtra government appointed Karnik as the head of a Special Investigation Team to probe the Maratha quota violence.
In October 2025, while serving as Nashik Police Commissioner, he initiated a policing operation called Nashik Jilla Kaydacha Ballekilla, meaning “Nashik District, Fortress of Law.” The operation used focused deterrence and hot-spot policing methods. Police identified criminal gangs, extortion groups, and offenders with political links, and took coordinated action against them.

Controversies

Maval firing incident

In August 2011, while serving as Superintendent of Police, a police firing incident occurred on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway. Following the incident in which four farmers died, allegations arose regarding the appropriateness of the use of force, with claims that the firing was unprovoked and not directed into the air. Within a month, the state government appointed judicial commission led by Justice M.G. Gaikwad. But the commission found no direct evidence linking him to any injuries and recommended administrative action only against certain officers for excessive response, which the State Government accepted. The Bombay High Court, while hearing petitions, too upheld this decision, confirming that due legal procedures were followed.

Nashik Dargah demolition drive incident

On April 16, 2025, violence broke out in Nashik during a demolition drive targeting the Satpeer Baba Dargah, declared illegal by the Bombay High Court. Clashes with police injured 21 officers. Despite the case being sub judice, the structure was demolished, prompting the Supreme Court to stay further action and demand an explanation. Karnik, as a Nashik Police Commissioner, noted intelligence about attempts to incite unrest prior to the incident, prompting preemptive police action. Subsequently, the Supreme Court of India allowed the Dargah Trust’s special leave petitions against the demolition notice to be withdrawn voluntarily.