A day after Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was transferred, Maharashtra Minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Nawab Malik, on Thursday, said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray took the administrative decision.
"CM took the administrative decision to transfer Mumbai CP (Param Bir Singh). Due to Sachin Vaze, image of the Mumbai Police was tarnished, his reinstatement was done under a committee headed by CP. Some credibility had to be fixed, that's why he was transferred," Nawab Malik was quoted as saying by ANI.
Talking about lockdown in Mumbai, Nawab Malik said that so far there has been no decision on lockdown in the maximum city. "No decision on lockdown in Mumbai, but people have to cooperate, otherwise, strict action will be taken," he said. Adding further he said, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has requested that PM Modi allows Haffkine Institute to manufacture COVID-19 vaccine.
Under flak for 'mishandling' of the bomb scare outside Mukesh Ambaniās residence, Maharashtra Government on Wednesday transferred Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh from the post.
Senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale, holding additional charge of Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP), will be the new Mumbai Police Commissioner and replace Singh, who has been posted to the state Home Guard, state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said.
Deshmukh, who met Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray earlier in the day, made the announcement on Twitter amid speculation in media over Singhs handling of the Sachin Waze episode.
"Big decision of the government. Shri Hemant Nagrale will be the new Mumbai Police Commissioner. Shri Rajnish Seth will have the additional charge of the post of Director General of Police, Maharashtra," Deshmukh tweeted.
"Shri Sanjay Pandey will have the responsibility of Maharashtra State Security Corporation. Shri Param Bir Singh will have the responsibility of the Home Guard,ā he added.
The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government's move comes in the wake of a series of meetings among the ruling Shiv Sena- NCP-Congress alliance leaders.
Vaze is at the focus of a probe by the National Investigating Agency in a case related to the recovery of an SUV with explosives near Ambani's house in Mumbai. Mumbai police officer Vaze, arrested in the case on March 13 for his alleged role in the crime, was attached to the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the city police's crime branch till recently. He was suspended after NIA arrested him in the case.
(With inputs from Agencies)
