Param Bir transferred, Nagrale is Mumbai top cop

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday transferred Param Bir Singh from the post of Mumbai Police commissioner amid the controversy over last month’s bomb scare outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence and subsequent arrest of former police officer Sachin Vaze

Mumbai

Hemant Nagrale (Bhushan Koyande/ HT)

The Maharashtra government on Wednesday transferred Param Bir Singh from the post of Mumbai Police commissioner amid the controversy over last month’s bomb scare outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence and subsequent arrest of former police officer Sachin Vaze. Senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale, holding additional charge of Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP), will be the new Mumbai Police commissioner and replace Singh, who has been posted to the state home guard, state home minister Anil Deshmukh said.

“State government’s key decision: Shri Hemant Nagrale to become new police commissioner of Mumbai. Rajnish Sheth will be acting director-general of police. Shri Sanjay Pandey will be director general of Maharashtra State Security Corporation. Shri Param Bir Singh, will head the home guards,” Deshmukh tweeted in Marathi. Nagrale is a 1987-batch IPS officer.

Although Singh, a 1988-batch officer, was transferred in a minor reshuffle of top police posts, it was clear that the ruling coalition — comprising Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Congress — held him responsible for the inept handling of the bomb scare, that saw explosives recovered from an SUV parked near Ambani’s residence, Antilia, last month, and the death of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, which then put the spotlight on Vaze and got the ruling Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) in a tight spot. Vaze’s Saturday arrest by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is said to be the reason behind his sudden transfer. The transfer decision was believably taken in a meeting between chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Monday itself. Over the past two days, Thackeray held several meetings with senior ministers in his cabinet and senior police officers in the state with regards to the reshuffle of top police officers. The CM also met home minister Anil Deshmukh, Nagrale, anti-corruption bureau’s (ACB) director-general Rajnish Seth over a marathon meeting on Tuesday night at his official bungalow, Varsha.

On Tuesday, multiple officials had told HT that Vaze was behind the Ambani episode, which he orchestrated as part of a conspiracy to restore his reputation as a successful cop, contending that the mystery around the explosive-laden vehicle had been solved.

Singh’s transfer is the first major step of MVA’s damage-control exercise. Initially, Thackeray and Sena ministers defended Vaze who was targeted by the opposition, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging his involvement. The issue snowballed into a major political controversy as NIA took over the probe and following initial investigation, arrested Vaze. Soon after the meeting between Thackeray and Pawar, the ruling parties started distancing themselves from Vaze. The leaders were also wary about the MVA’s image being dented further if Singh was summoned for investigation by the NIA.

“Pawarsaheb clearly justified action against Vaze on Tuesday in Delhi and said the officer misused his position. Since these things happened under Singh’s watch, it was logical that he faced the music,” said a senior NCP minister.

Nagrale, who was given additional charge as DGP on January 7, also held the position of director general, legal and technical department. Nagrale hails from Chandrapur district in Vidarbha and did his schooling and college in Chandrapur and Nagpur. He was Navi Mumbai police commissioner and has served as additional commissioner in Mumbai. He has also served in CBI between 1998 and 2002.

Shortly after taking charge, Nagrale said he will try to restore people’s faith in the police force with the help of his subordinates and other staff members. “We will definitely retain the glory and pride of Mumbai Police,” he said.

He added that Mumbai’s police force is a reputable one and has done exceptional work during natural calamities, the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, floods and Covid-19 pandemic, and just because of the wrongs committed by a few policemen, the entire force cannot be held responsible.

“Some members of the Mumbai Police are facing investigation by NIA and other agencies. lf they are involved in any crime they will face appropriate action. If any of those agencies write to us informing about dereliction of duty or misuse of police resources, appropriate departmental action would be taken against the erring policemen,” Nagrale added.

He said the police force was going through a challenging phase and he was appointed to lead it to tide over the present situation, which has brought lot of embarrassment to the police department.

Leader of opposition, Devendra Fadnavis, meanwhile stepped up the attack on Thackeray government. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, he said the mere transfer of the commissioner would not help as the name of the “political boss” who was operating Vaze should be exposed. He also demanded that the investigation into death of Hiran should also be handed over to the NIA, since the state’s anti- terrorism squad (ATS) has not been able to make progress in the death case.

Hiran was found dead in Thane creek, days after an SUV owned by him was found abandoned with gelatin sticks outside Ambani’s residence on February 25. Fadnavis also alleged that because of the political patronage he received, Vaze assumed importance in the Mumbai Police force, just next to that of Mumbai commissioner. “Uddhavji had called me up in 2018, requesting for reinstatement of Vaze, but the advocate-general’s advice was against it. After he was reinstated in June last year, he was many times seen next to Thackeray and other ministers. Vaze was known to be a ‘recovery officer,’” he said.

Meanwhile, the controversy also led to differences between the ruling parties. According to the leaders from NCP, a few leaders from ruling parties were insisting on the removal of home minister Anil Dehsmukh, however, the NCP chief ruled out any immediate step.

Deshmukh reportedly complained to Pawar that he was not given a free hand in the home department and Sena leaders interfered in routine affairs, especially related to Mumbai Police. He tried to deflect responsibility in the Vaze controversy

Deshmukh may be shifted out of the home department in a reshuffle of the state cabinet in the next few months as part of a routine change in responsibilities. State NCP chief Jayant Patil on Wednesday said Deshmukh’s removal were just rumours and that one must not read much into it.

(with inputs from Vijay Kumar Yadav)