Rakesh Maria wants to finish probe before transfer

Mumbai Police chief Rakesh Maria is personally leading the probe into the Sheena Bora murder case, earning praises.

However, the real reason he is doing so is he all set to be promoted and transferred, and wants to wrap up the probe as early as possible and file the charge sheet.
The 58-year-old 1981-batch IPS officer is currently an officer of the rank of additional director general of police (Addl DGP), and is due to be promoted to the rank of DGP on September 30.

According to a government resolution and submissions by the Maharashtra government to the Bombay High Court, the post of Mumbai police commissioner is fixed at the rank of Addl DGP.

Once promoted, he would required to be transferred, though there are ample chances of and precedents to the government extending his tenure by delaying promotion.
Among those in line for succeeding Maria are Datta Padsalgikar, who had earlier worked with the Intelligence Bureau (IB), Sobodh Jaiswal, another IB veteran, Pune police chief K K Pathak, Sanjay Barve, Prabhat Ranjan and V D Mishra.

Maria’s promotion would be needed in September as two officers of DGP-rank — current state DGP Sanjeev Dayal (1977-batch IPS) and Maharashtra State Police Housing and Welfare Corporation Ltd Managing Director Arup Patnaik (1979-batch IPS) are retiring.

In the event of Dayal's retirement, Anti-Corruption Bureau Director General Pravin Dixit will become the state DGP and Maria will succeed him or Patnaik. “Maria will be Mumbai Police chief till September, and hence all pending cases are being expedited. As far as the Sheena Bora murder case is concerned, it is complex and involves high-profile people. Maria wants to make a watertight case that stands in court. DH News Service