Buckling under virulent pressure from opposition parties baying for his blood and that of Home Minister R.R. Patil, the state may drop Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik any moment
The proposal to relieve Arup Patnaik from the post of Mumbai police commissioners is under consideration of the state government and a decision is expected very shortly. The NCP is insisting on Patnaik’s transfer, while the Congress is not very keen to shift him.
Speaking to reporters late in the evening at the Vidhan Bhavan, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan said, “I have received a proposal from the Home department to transfer Patnaik from his post. We are discussing all the relevant aspects and the government will take a decision on it.”
On August 18, the moment Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh took off from Mumbai, the Home department forwarded its proposal seeking transfer of the police commissioner over his handling of the August 11 violence at Azad Maidan.
The Shiv Sena, BJP and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) have demanded Patnaik’s resignation over his restrained response to the Azad Maidan violence, where women cops were molested and attacked along with their male colleagues. Patnaik has strongly defended his sensitive handling of the riot.
Meanwhile, the names of Satyapal Singh and Ahmed Javed are doing the rounds as probable choices for the Commissioner’s post.