In a surprising move amid the raging political developments in Maharashtra, the Mumbai Police affected a major reshuffle by transferring 86 officers including 65 from the elite Crime Branch-CID.
Those transferred include Police Inspectors (PIs), Assistant Police Inspectors (APIs) and Police Sub-Inspectors (PSIs).
As far as the transfers are concerned, among those shunted out is API Riyazuddin Kazi, who is a close aide of Vaze.
“This is the first time that so many officers – PIs, APIs and PSIs – have been transferred in one go. These include officers who have solved several sensitive cases and have been working in the Crime Branch for several years,” informed sources said.
The transfer order came on Tuesday night after Deshmukh met Thackeray.
The BJP has been demanding the resignation of Deshmukh, a senior leader from Vidarbha.
Often compared to the Scotland Yard, Mumbai Police’s image has suffered a beating after API Sachin Vaze was found involved in the planting of a Mahindra Scorpio, laden with explosives and a threatening letter near Antilia, the Carmichael Road residence of Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman Mukesh Ambani. Vaze has also been linked to the murder of the Thane-based SUV owner Mansukh Hiran.
The image of Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) is also at stake as it faces a barrage of corruption allegations from the BJP.
Vaze (49), who worked at the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) of Crime Branch, has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Scorpio planting case while the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is set to seek his custody in the Mansukh Hiran murder case, even though the Centre has asked the federal agency to take over the case. The ATS has also arrested Naresh Gor, a cricket-bookie and Vinayak Shinde, a dismissed constable undergoing life term in a Lakhan Bhaiyya fake encounter case, currently on parole.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who was shunted out and made Commandant General of Home Guards, has alleged that state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh gave a target collection of Rs 100 crore per month to Vaze.
Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has now made a top-secret report submitted to the ex-Director General of Police Subodh Jaiswal and then Commissioner of State Intelligence Department Rashmi Shukla, which stated that massive police transfers and a promotion racket are present.