By IANS
Mumbai : With the three-month extensions of tenure of Maharashtra Director General of Police P.S. Pasricha and Mumbai Police Commissioner D.N. Jadhav expiring Friday, a top-level police reshuffle is on the cards.
The announcements replacing the city and state top cops are expected Friday afternoon. Both Pasricha and Jadhav were serving on three months’ extended tenure granted to them in December 2007.
Refusing to be drawn into any speculation, Deputy Chief Minister R.R. Patil, who holds the home portfolio, said: “Whosoever is appointed, they would be competent officers.”
Patil was informally interacting with mediapersons on the sidelines of a function to inaugurate the Mumbai police helpline – 103 – for the benefit of senior citizens, women and children, Thursday evening.
Though no clear hints are in sight, at least half a dozen senior officers are in the fray for the two plum postings. They would in turn lead to another seven or eight new senior postings or promotions in the state police hierarchy in the next few weeks.
The front-runner for the coveted post of the Mumbai police chief, equivalent to a state additional DGP, is Hassan Gaffoor, who is currently additional DGP, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB). He has held several sensitive postings in the past, including security chief of Air India.
Competing with him is Thane police chief D. Shivanandan, who is also being considered for the post of the principal state home secretary. He is likely to be replaced by additional DGP (traffic) Arup Patnaik, a well-placed state government official told IANS.
Present DGP (ACB) J.D. Virkar is the top contender for the post of the state DGP as also S. Chakravarty, who is the chief of state home guards.
With Pasricha’s retirement, one of the total four posts of DGP will fall vacant, indicating a second round of reshuffle in the coming weeks.