News Analysis India

Tag: Nashik Police

  • Arond 40 IPS officers transferred in Maharashtra, Nashik city gets new police chief

    By PTI

    MUMABI: In a major reshuffle, the Maharashtra government on Wednesday promoted or transferred around 40 senior police officers, including Nashik police commissioner Deepak Pandey, who has been replaced, days after he reportedly alleged that land mafias were hand in glove with a section of revenue department officials and faced flak for going public on the issue.

    Transfers and promotions were announced in multiple official orders. DIG (VIP security) Jayant Naiknavare will replace Pandey as the Nashik police commissioner. Pandey, who was criticised by Revenue Minister Balasaheb Thorat for making the allegation in the media, has been appointed special inspector general (prevention of atrocities on women department).

    In the backdrop of loudspeaker row, Pandey had issued directives a few days ago stating no one will be allowed to play bhajan or songs on loudspeakers within 15-minute period before and after the call of ‘azaan’ in the radius of 100 meters of any mosque in Nashik city.

    The directives were issued in the wake of MNS president Raj Thackeray’s demand that loudspeakers atop mosques be removed by May 3 or else Hanuman Chalisa will be played on loudspeakers in front of them. According to media reports, in March Pandey had written a letter to the DGP seeking transfer out of Nashik city.

    In a separate letter to the state police chief, the IPS officer had sought curtailment in powers of district revenue officers and also suggested certain administrative changes. The government has also transferred Pimpri-Chinchwad Police Commissioner Krishna Prakash, who will be the new Spl IG (VIP security), Maharashtra. Spl IG (Sudhar Seva) Ankush Shinde will replace Prakash as the Pimpri-Chinchwad police commissioner.

    In another development, Joint Commissioner of Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch Milind Bharambe and Spl IG (Law & Order) Suhas Warke have been transferred to each other’s posts.  Joint Commissioner of Pune city Ravindra Shisve has been appointed IG (State human rights commission), while senior officer Sureshkumar Mekala has been named IG (State CID).

    DIG Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Lakhmi Gautam has been transferred as IG (establishment) in the Maharashtra police headquarters, while Additional Commissioner of Mumbai Police’s West Region Sandeep Karnik has been promoted and appointed in Shisve’s place.

    Another senior officer and Karnik’s batchmate Satyanarayan who serves in Mumbai Police’s Traffic department has been appointed IG (coastal security), his counterpart in Mumbai’s North region Praveenkumar Padwal, joint commissioner of police (EOW), while S Jaykumar has been promoted as IG (administration) in the state police headquarters.

    IPS officer Nishith Mishra has been posted as IG (Anti-Terrorism Squad), Sanjay Mohite promoted as IG (Konkan range), Dattatray Karale promoted as JCP Thane, Pravin Pawar promoted as Director, Maharashtra Intelligence Academy, and Balasaheb G Shekhar as IG (Nashik range).

    In all, the government has promoted 14 officials as special police inspector general and transferred many of them elsewhere. Eleven officials were promoted as deputy inspector general and transferred from their current place of posting.

  • Maharashtra: Police inquiry into graft allegations against minister Anil Parab

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey has ordered an inquiry into allegations of corruption in transfers and postings against Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab and six officers on the complaint of a suspended motor vehicle inspector of the Nashik Regional Transport Office (RTO), an official said on Saturday.

    In his complaint, the suspended officer Gajendra Patil has mentioned the corruption to the tune of multiple crores in transfers and postings in the RTO department, he said.

    Meanwhile, Parab, a senior leader of the Shiv Sena, said the complaint filed against him, the state transport commissioner and five other officers is baseless, politically motivated, and aimed at defaming the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.

    The complaint was filed by Patil, who is posted at the Nashik RTO, via an email, sent to Panchvati police station in Nashik on May 16.

    He had also visited the police station on May 17, the official said.

    In his complaint, Patil also alleged corruption at border checkposts; settlement of cases against some private operators and illegal registration of BS-4 vehicles, he said.

    Patil has named state transport minister Anil Parab and six senior officers of the RTO for their alleged role in transfers and postings of RTO officials, he said.

    Panchvati Police had called the complainant to record his statement and submit documents, but he was not cooperating in the probe, the official said.

    “Considering the seriousness of the complaint, it was not justifiable to neglect it. Accordingly, Nashik Commissioner of Police Deepak Pandey issued orders for a probe by the Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) on the the complaint,” he said.

    Pandey has directed the DCP to submit the investigation report in the next five days, he said.

    DCP Zone 1 and DCP Zone 2 will assist the DCP (crime) with the required manpower and other requirements, the official said quoting the CP’s orders.

    He said, if needed, the investigation team can take a few more days to complete the inquiry.

    Last month, controversial Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze, now sacked from service, had alleged in a letter he sought to submit before a court that in January 2021, Anil Parab asked him to look into an inquiry against “fraudulent” contractors listed in the Mumbai civic body and collect at least Rs 2 crore from about 50 such contractors.

    Parab had rejected Waze’s claims and said he was ready to face any probe into the allegations.

    The Shiv Sena heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government of which the NCP and the Congress are the two other constituents.

    The state Home department is headed by the Nationalist Congress Party’s (NCP’s) Dilip Walse Patil.

    In a tweet, Parab said suspended officer Gajendra Patil has acted out of a grudge to malign the image of him (the minister) and the MVA government as he was suspended following many complaints received from the state Transport department.

    The minister also alleged a “conspiracy” behind the complaint.

    He tweeted that the complaint filed against him, the transport commissioner and five other officers, at Panchvati police station was baseless, false, and politically motivated.

    “The complaint is filed with a political motive as part of which (the complainant is) trying to project that the state government cannot do anything against such ministers and then demand an inquiry by the CBI through the high court,” he tweeted.

    “Nashik police is investigating the complaint and the truth will come out before the public,” the minister said in another tweet.

    Notably, senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh had resigned in April, days after former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray claiming that the then state home minister had set a monthly target to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and hotels in Mumbai to some police officers and moved the high court.

    The HC then ordered a probe by the CBI which registered a case against Deshmukh and conducted searches at various places.