Maha Govt Revokes 3-day-old Transfer Order of 10 Mumbai DCPs, Ministers Says No Differences Among Allies

Barely three days after the Maharashtra Home Department issued an order for the transfer of 10 Deputy Commissioners of Police (DCPs) in Mumbai, it was revoked on Sunday. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Sunday said the transfer order has been revoked.

According to an official, the order for the transfer of DCPs of Mumbai Police had been issued on Thursday. But as per the fresh order issued on Sunday, the transfer was cancelled and the DCPs were asked to continue with their current postings.

"The Chief Minister's Office (CMO) as well as my office have revoked the transfers done by the Mumbai Police Commissioner," Deshmukh said. The minister, however, did not specify any reason behind the cancellation of the transfer order.

He said there was good coordination among the MVA allies -- Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress -- and there were no differences.

Meanwhile, sources in the home department said the transfers were done on the advice of the bureaucracy since they were long-pending, but the government did a rethink in view of the coronavirus pandemic.

"The transfers were cancelled since the government felt 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," the sources said.

A police official said, "As per the home department's new order, the DCPs were asked to continue with their current postings."

According to the fresh order, DCP (Operation) Pranay Ashok has been given the additional charge of Zone V in central Mumbai after it fell vacant following DCP Niyati Thacker's joining of the Intelligence Bureau as Joint Deputy Director.

DCP N Ambika (Headquarter) was also given additional charge of Zone III after DCP Abhinash Kumar was sent on central deputation, the official added.

As per the previous order, DCPs from Zone VII, Protection, SB-I, Port Zone, CB (Detection), Zone XI, Cyber, Zone I, Operation and LA Tardeo were transferred to different zones in the city police department.

"The order issued today has been signed by Joint Commissioner of Police (Administration) Naval Bajaj," the official added.