Sanjay Barve had taken over as Mumbai police commissioner on February 28. (File)

Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve has been given a three-month extension as "a special case in public interest", a Maharashtra government official said today.

The development comes ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections in October this year.

The appointments committee of the state cabinet approved the proposal of Union Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday and issued the extension order, the official said.

Mr Barve, a 1987-batch IPS officer, had taken over as Mumbai police commissioner on February 28 this year. He was set to retire on Saturday.

Mr Barve took over as Mumbai police chief on February 28 this year, succeeding Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, who is now Maharashtra police chief.

The senior IPS officer was previously the director general of the Anti Corruption Bureau, Maharashtra. He has also held the posts of Deputy Commissioner of Police (Economic Offences Wing) as well as an additional charge as head of the State Intelligence Department.

Mr Barve was part of a special team that investigated Abdul Karim Telgi. He was awarded the Presidents Police Medal in 2006.