Dinesh Kamath's news item 'Navi Mumbai police commissioner to be transferred?' that was published in Newsband

Navi Mumbai police commissioner to be transferred?

By Dinesh Kamath

NAVI MUMBAI: It seems that the state government is not happy with the way Navi Mumbai police commissioner A K Sharma is handling the criminal cases in the city. There is likelihood of Sharma getting transferred before his tenure in the city is completed.

The fact that two sensitive murder cases – Sandhya Singh and Loharia – have not yet been solved and many other lapses on the part of Navi Mumbai police have made the state government question the efficiency of A K Sharma. In fact, the close ones of both the murder victims had expressed their lack of confidence in Navi Mumbai police owing to which the cases were transferred to Mumbai police. This had embarrassed both Navi Mumbai police and the commissioner.  

The raid on Panvel bar recently and confiscation of Rs 1.5 crore from there and discovery that the place had several bar girls employed by force has affected the image of Navi Mumbai police and its chief still further.  This incident had led to suspension of top police officer and had invited the ire of state’s Home Ministry.

There was also news about police commissioner partying with persons having criminal records. He is being blamed for the lack of discipline and professionalism in the Navi Mumbai police. The recent escape of two accused from police custody when they were taken from jail to hospital has made the public question the efficiency of Navi Mumbai policemen.

The sting operation conducted in Ahmedabad, where IPS officer Rajkumar Pandian who is an accused in Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case and who was being escorted by a Navi Mumbai police squad for a court hearing there, had led to the revelation that he was allowed to go home. This has further tarnished the image of Navi Mumbai police.

Thus it is the police commissioner who is being held responsible for all these lapses on the part of the city policemen. It is left to be seen whether the government will give A K Sharma a chance to prove his worth or whether he will be transferred.