Headlines
Was Rakesh Maria promoted or 'removed'? (News Analysis)
By
Quaid NajmiMumbai, Sep 8
Barely 10 hours after he
victoriously announced major developments in the sensational Sheena Bora
murder probe, high-profile Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria
suddenly found himself promoted as the DGP-Home Guards.
He
was replaced by another equally fine IPS officer, Javed Ahmed, and the
city police commissioner's post was upgraded from Additional DG rank to
DGP rank.
Coming as it did just 22 days before Maria's scheduled
term was to expire Sep 30, the unexpected promotion set tongues wagging
across the political establishment, with uncomfortable questions like
whether he was actually 'removed'.
Maharashtra Additonal Chief
Secretary (Home) K.P. Bakshi took pains to explain that there was 'no
politics', nor were the changes linked to the ongoing probe into the
Sheena Bora murder case.
"Such changes don't take place
overnight. This matter was being discussed for two-three weeks and it
has been effected now," Bakshi told mediapersons.
He attributed
the change of guard to the upcoming festival season of Ganeshotsav and
Bakr Eid, since a reshuffle at that point would not have given the new
incumbent sufficient time to settle down to the awesome
responsibilities.
Though officials remain tightlipped,
speculation is rife that the move may have been prompted reportedly by
what some see as Maria's inept handling of the Sheena Bora murder probe.
Some
Bharatiya Janata Party politicians have also alleged that
media-friendly Maria was 'close' to former television tycoon Peter
Mukerjea, who is married to Sheena Bora's mother, Indrani Mukerjea.
The
official version of giving any incumbent time to settle down before the
upcoming Ganeshotsav festival failed to pass muster since the 10-day
fest would have been over within Maria's tenure, ending Sep. 30.
In
the past few days, doubts were expressed whether he was going soft on
Peter Mukerjea, who had been questioned several times since the case
first broke out on Aug. 25 with the arrest of his second wife, Indrani
Mukerjea.
Probably dropping a hint, the new Police Commissioner
Ahmed proclaimed that the Sheena murder probe would be conducted
"professionally" from all angles.
Speculation was rife in
official circles that a major 'breakthrough' was expected in the case
with Mukerjea's sustained and repeated grilling, several times by Maria
himself.
Maria's hands-on approach in the the case - especially
his meticulous personal interrogation of the three prime accused and
quizzing others for hours - raised eyebrows and even became the butt of
jokes by some senior politicians, including Chief Minister Devendra
Fadnavis.
Was the "breakthrough" expected after the police
completed the criminal angle and started poring into the financial and
property transactions of the accused, is the unanswered question.
The
gossip mill has also been grindingly furiously over the possibility of
some big political names expected to tumble out from the financial and
property tangles that were being unraveled.
After all, it is no
secret that both Peter and Indrani were considered close to some major
political players in the early 2000s when they were in the thick of
launching their television channel businesses.
Another nagging
doubt is whether Maria's sudden 'elevation' to DGP post was linked to
his meeting last year with former IPL chief Lalit Modi, which was
revealed in June this year.
Not only was he asked to provide an
explanation, Fadnavis had even ordered the department to submit a report
on the duo's meeting as it has been a politically sensitive issue for
the BJP.
Fortunately, the exchange of seats in the two critical
posts were carried out peacefully and amicably - and the show is
expected to go on as usual.
(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at [email protected])