Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh called on Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday, hours after the state government had revoked a home department order transferring 10 deputy commissioners of police within the city.
The meeting at Thackeray’s home came amid speculation — rekindled by the revocation of Thursday’s transfer order — of a lack of coordination between the Shiv Sena and the NCP, two of the three ruling coalition partners.
State home minister Anil Deshmukh, who belongs to the NCP, on Sunday said: “The CMO as well as the home department office revoked the transfers done by the Mumbai police commissioner.”
A police official told PTI: “Today’s order was signed by joint commissioner of police (administration) Naval Bajaj.”
Deshmukh claimed there was good coordination among ruling allies Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress — and that there were no differences.
He, however, did not specify any reason behind the cancellation of the transfer order.
Home department sources said the transfers had been ordered on the advice of the bureaucracy since they were long-pending, but the government did a rethink in the light of the coronavirus outbreak.
“The transfers were cancelled since the government felt that any changes at this juncture would hurt the coordination process and also impact the on-ground deployment of police personnel, who are the frontline Covid-19 warriors,” a source said.
A police official said: “As per the home department’s new order, the DCPs were asked to continue with their current postings.”
Under the fresh order, deputy commissioner (operation) Pranay Ashok has been given additional charge of Zone V in central Mumbai, which had fallen vacant with DCP Niyati Thacker joining the Intelligence Bureau as joint deputy director.
Deputy commissioner (headquarters) N. Ambika has been given additional charge of Zone III, from where DCP Abhinash Kumar had been deputed to the Centre.
The previous order had transferred DCPs from Zone VII, Protection, SB-I, Port Zone, CB (detection), Zone XI, Cyber, Zone I, Operation and LA Tardeo to different zones in the city police department.
