Cong-NCP in standoff over city’s next police chief

Congress and NCP are at loggerheads over who will be the next Mumbai police commissioner.

According to sources, while NCP, which controls the home department, is rooting for Rakesh Maria, the current Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief, to replace Satyapal Singh for the top post, Congress favours Javed Ahmed, additional director general (law and order), and Vijay Kamble, ADG (state traffic).

While Ahmed and Kamble are from 1980-batch IPS officers, Maria is a year junior to them. “Both of them are senior to Maria. One is a Muslim and another one hails from the Dalit community. Overlooking them for the top post despite merit will not send the right message,” a senior Congress leader said.

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Interestingly, Home Minister RR Patil had submitted a proposal for elevating Satyapal Singh to the rank of Director General of Police (DGP) to CM Prithviraj Chavan on September 1 last year. Chavan, however, has held back approval to the file.

The Mumbai police commissioner’s post has been a vexed issue for the ruling Democratic Front government for a year.
A senior official said a formal announcement on the post was expected in a few days.

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