Thanks, but no Sheena Bora case for me: Ex-Mumbai top cop Rakesh Maria turns down govt offer?

After abruptly shunting him out as Mumbai’s police commissioner, the Maharashtra state government attempted to quell the furore over the decision by saying that Rakesh Maria would continue to lead the investigation in the Sheena Bora case. However, the newly-promoted director-general of police (home guards) has reportedly hinted that he has no interest in continuing to be a part of the probe. According to a DNA report , a senior police official said that the former Mumbai Police commissioner isn’t very keen on continuing to head the probe and and “just wants to keep himself away”.  The report also quoted sources close to Maria as saying that the senior police official wasn’t pacified by the state government’s decision to let him continue to head the probe in the case. [caption id=“attachment_2428348” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Maria was transferred on Tuesday. PTI image[/caption] Maria had been actively involved in the investigation in the murder case, even reportedly interrogating the accused himself.   Firstpost’s Sandip Roy had pointed out in his piece on Wednesday: “Maria’s interest in the case might have been beyond the call of duty but in its haste to remove him the government will also have to fight the perception that it has an ulterior motive.” There have been various motives ascribed to the state government’s decision to transfer Maria. His meeting with former IPL chief Lalit Modi, his involvement in the Sheena Bora murder case and his assent for the Shiv Sena’s proposal to have restaurants open through the night, are among the factors that are said to have contributed to his transfer. However, other factors are also being cited as having played a role in the IPS official being transferred. The DNA report quotes a senior police official as saying that the “IPS lobby was working against” Maria while another report said that the former police commissioner was transferred to prevent him from being eligible to become the chief of the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau. The Indian Express reported that had he been promoted and transferred on 30 September, Maria would have been a front-runner to become the next Anti-Corruption Bureau chief, a post he was reportedly keen on. However, the state government reportedly didn’t want Maria to be the Anti-Corruption Bureau chief, since the agency is heading probes into cases involving leaders from the previous government like the NCP’s Ajit Pawar in an alleged irrigation scam. Maria, whose appointment is alleged to have been finalised at the NCP’s behest, was perceived as being too close to the NCP’s leaders and the state government didn’t want him as the only option for the post. However, with his transfer, there are now other officers eligible for the post like Vijay Kamble, Meeran Borwankar and Satish Mathur.