Meera Borwankar, the first woman IPS officer to head Mumbai's Crime Branch, on Wednesday said publicity can prove to be counter-productive.

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"I would like to stay away from the media glare until I get to know the kind of job I have to take up ahead," Borwankar told reporters after taking over from Satya Pal Singh at the Crawford Market headquarters of the Mumbai police.

"Leave me alone to concentrate on my job and give me time to work. Publicity and gender is counter-productive at times," Borwankar said.

Borwankar is not new to Mumbai. She has worked here earlier as deputy commissioner.

Among Borwankar's first challenges would be the deportation of Dawood Ibrahim gang members. Key crime branch officials have indicated that Iqbal Mirchi and Ejaz Lakdawala may be extradited to India in the coming days.