Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria (centre) during his media interaction after taking charge
Rakesh Maria's appointment as Mumbai's police commissioner violates poll panel rules that say no officers can be posted in their hometown during election time.
Having appointed Rakesh Maria as police commissioner of Mumbai, generating bitter antagonism among the other contenders for the post, the state government is now trying to get around an Election Commission order of January 9 this year that says officers cannot be appointed in their home districts during election time.
The state government has sought an exemption from the Commission for Maria, who not only studied in Mumbai but also specified Mumbai as his home district while appearing for his UPSC examinations.
On Monday, the home department wrote to the chief electoral officer of the state Nitin Gadre, asking for exemption for Maria from the EC order. Gadre has written to the Election Commision of India explaining the facts of the case and why the state government wants exemption for its new appointee to the post of CP.
The state government did not seek the EC's permission while appointing Maria because Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R R Patil both overlooked it while squabbling over who should have Mumbai's top police job.
Some senior ministers in the state cabinet felt Maria's appointment was acomplete violation of the EC order.
But a top IPS officer reasoned that though there have been several instances where the EC has taken a stringent view on such postings, and got collectors, superintendents, divisional commissioners and Inspector-Generals of police transferred out of their home districts during elections, Mumbai was different. " Maria's family is in Bandra and has no political connections. The Election Commission must consider this as a special case and grant exemption,'' he said.
Sources close to Maria recalled that during the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, he was joint commissioner, (crime), while Himanshu Roy was joint commissioner, (law and order). Roy, too, had taken his UPSC exams mentioning Mumbai as his hometown. Why wasn't the EC order (which was applicable during the 2009 elections too) implemented then, they asked.
Maria was selected for the police commissioner's post in the city despite all odds. Chavan was not in favour of it at all, as his appointment would have meant his superseding other, more senior, officers.
Chavan's choice was Javed Ahmed, but Ahmed had to be promoted to the rank of Director General as there were two vacant DG posts.
The police establishment board had recommended three names -- Vijay Kamble, Satish Mathur and Rakesh Maria. But at the PEB meeting held on February 10, the board members questioned Kamble's ability to make himself readily available to tackle developing situations. But Kamble's candidature was supported by the Congress- especially by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
When the names finally went to the state chief minister and home minister for consideration, the NCP remained firm on its insistence on Maria, and it managed to press its choice on its alliance partner.
An EC spokesperson told Mirror that they would look into the matter soon and take a call.
Having appointed Rakesh Maria as police commissioner of Mumbai, generating bitter antagonism among the other contenders for the post, the state government is now trying to get around an Election Commission order of January 9 this year that says officers cannot be appointed in their home districts during election time.
The state government has sought an exemption from the Commission for Maria, who not only studied in Mumbai but also specified Mumbai as his home district while appearing for his UPSC examinations.
On Monday, the home department wrote to the chief electoral officer of the state Nitin Gadre, asking for exemption for Maria from the EC order. Gadre has written to the Election Commision of India explaining the facts of the case and why the state government wants exemption for its new appointee to the post of CP.
The state government did not seek the EC's permission while appointing Maria because Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Home Minister R R Patil both overlooked it while squabbling over who should have Mumbai's top police job.
Some senior ministers in the state cabinet felt Maria's appointment was acomplete violation of the EC order.
But a top IPS officer reasoned that though there have been several instances where the EC has taken a stringent view on such postings, and got collectors, superintendents, divisional commissioners and Inspector-Generals of police transferred out of their home districts during elections, Mumbai was different. " Maria's family is in Bandra and has no political connections. The Election Commission must consider this as a special case and grant exemption,'' he said.
Sources close to Maria recalled that during the Lok Sabha elections in 2009, he was joint commissioner, (crime), while Himanshu Roy was joint commissioner, (law and order). Roy, too, had taken his UPSC exams mentioning Mumbai as his hometown. Why wasn't the EC order (which was applicable during the 2009 elections too) implemented then, they asked.
Maria was selected for the police commissioner's post in the city despite all odds. Chavan was not in favour of it at all, as his appointment would have meant his superseding other, more senior, officers.
Chavan's choice was Javed Ahmed, but Ahmed had to be promoted to the rank of Director General as there were two vacant DG posts.
The police establishment board had recommended three names -- Vijay Kamble, Satish Mathur and Rakesh Maria. But at the PEB meeting held on February 10, the board members questioned Kamble's ability to make himself readily available to tackle developing situations. But Kamble's candidature was supported by the Congress- especially by Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.
When the names finally went to the state chief minister and home minister for consideration, the NCP remained firm on its insistence on Maria, and it managed to press its choice on its alliance partner.
An EC spokesperson told Mirror that they would look into the matter soon and take a call.
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