Rakesh Maria gets letter on 'supervisory role' in Sheena Bora's probe

Mumbai, Sept 9: A day after he was shunted out as Mumbai Police Commissioner, senior IPS officer Rakesh Maria has received an official communication from the Maharashtra government asking him to supervise investigation into the sensational Sheena Bora murder case.

After Maria was shifted from the key post on promotion as Director General (Home Guards), the BJP-led government had clarified he would continue to supervise the probe in the Sheena Bora case, as the timing of the decision raised questions.

According to Minister of State for Home Ram Shinde, an official communication has been sent to Maria regarding his supervisory role in the Sheena murder investigation.

"An official communication has been sent to Maria directing him to supervise the investigation in the case," Shinde told PTI on Wednesday.

Asked if the officers conducting the investigation will report to new Police Commissioner Ahmed Javed, Shinde said, "For this particular case, the investigation officers will report to Rakesh Maria only as he has been asked to supervise the probe."

In a surprise decision, Maria was yesterday promoted to the DG rank and given the charge of Home Guards, while a DG-rank officer Ahmed Javed was made Mumbai Police Commissioner.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had cleared both the appointments before he left for Japan on Monday night. Though said to be upset over the surprise decision, Maria rubbished reports that he had thought about quitting the service.

"I am not thinking of resigning. Reports saying so are not true," the 1981-batch IPS officer told PTI this morning.

Maria, who was heading the probe in the Sheena case, had personally interrogated the accused and some others. As the decision created a flutter with the opposition Congress and NCP criticising it, the government made a climb down by the evening and said he would continue to "supervise" the probe.

Though various theories had been floated over the reasons for Maria's transfer, state's Home Department maintained the changes were made taking into account the law and order factor ahead of the Ganapati festival, dismissing suggestions that it was linked to the ongoing investigation in the Sheena murder case.

PTI