Though the transfer of Mumbai police commissioner Arup Patnaik may seem like a victory for Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Shiv Sena and BJP, there were behind-the-scenes political machinations that influenced this decision. The NCP had leaned heavily on its ally Congress to move out Patnaik following the police failure to control the riots at Azad Maidan on August 11.
The month-old file that had originated from the office of the Director General of Police to promote Patnaik was gathering dust at Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan’s office.
Home Minister R R Patil said that the transfer was routine and cited the file dated July 6 that originated from DGP office to promote Patnaik to the rank of DGP. The file had been sent to the CM’s office on August 8 -- three days prior to the riots.
However, following the riots, the NCP began to pursue the matter vigourously with the Chief Minister for a final decision. Chavan, on the other hand, delayed the decision till the matter was leaked to the media, making it evident that he was forced to take decision.
“The message that the Muslim community got from the transfer of Patnaik is that not just the MNS, Shiv Sena and BJP, even the NCP wanted the police to have ordered firing which would have claimed the lives of hundreds of Muslims. Patnaik has been made a victim because he averted a bloodbath in Mumbai and subsequent riots,” said Shamsherkhan Pathan of Awami Vikas Party.
Moreover, the new police chief Satyapal Singh had a reputation of being a trigger happy cop during the heydays of police encounters. It was during his tenure as the Joint Commissioner of Police (crime) that the mysterious disappearance of Kwaja Yunus had taken place.