Ahmed Javed replaces Rakesh Maria amid Sheena Bora probe

Mumbai - Critics, including some former Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, have questioned the need for the police chief to interrogate the key accused in the murder case.

In a surprise move, the Maharashtra government on Tuesday abruptly transferred Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria, who was personally involved in probing the Sheena Bora murder case, and replaced him with Ahmed Javed.
While Maria was promoted to the rank of director-general of police (DGP), he was put in charge of the relatively low-profile home guards division. Rather unusually for a police commissioner, Maria took personal interest in the high-profile celebrity murder case involving Sheena's mother, Indrani Mukerjea.
Critics, including some former Indian Police Service (IPS) officers, have questioned the need for the police chief to interrogate the key accused in the murder case. Maria had visited the Khar police station several times after the murder case surfaced to question the three accused persons - Indrani, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna, and her former driver Shyam Rai - and was constantly monitoring it.
In contrast, his critics say he did not pay much attention to the Malwani illicit liquor disaster in which more than a hundred people, mostly labourers, were killed after consuming hooch in June.
Maria was supposed to have been promoted to the DGP rank towards the end of this month and was reportedly keen that the charge-sheet in the Sheena Bora case be filed by then. However, he has been facing flak from some TV channels over the way the investigations were proceeding.
The government also upgraded the Mumbai commissioner's post to the rank of DGP, as Javed already holds that position. Javed had earlier been with Mumbai police, but had been transferred on being promoted to the DGP rank earlier.
Interestingly, Javed had in February 2014 protested against his being denied the Mumbai police commissioner's post - though he was the senior-most IPS officer - and had gone on leave instead of taking charge of the home guards.
Speaking to the media after being made the commissioner, Javed said the Sheena Bora case would be handled professionally. "Investigation is a team work," he said. According to him, security and law and order would be his priority, as well as ensuring the safety of women.
Denying speculation that Maria had been transferred because of his handling of the Sheena murder mystery, K.P. Bakshi, additional chief secretary (home) said it was done before the onset of the 10-day Ganesh festival, which begins later this month.
He said it would be difficult to transfer him from the commissioner's job in the midst of the festivities, when there is a high alert in Mumbai.
The transfers were decided by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who flew to Japan on Tuesday morning on a five-day visit.
nithin@khaleejtimes.com

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