In a big move in Maharashtra, the Shinde government on 7th November, transferred 104 IPS officers. But, in the next day, nine of the officers were asked to not leave their current posting. Of the nine officers who have been asked to remain in their current posts, six officers have either currently or in the past worked in the Thane Commissionerate or nearby Vasai-Virar or Palghar District Police. Thane is believed to be the hub of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
According to the information given by the Home Department, 104 IPS officers have been transferred in the state. At the same time, 9 officers are still waiting. A total of 113 officers have been transferred.
At the same time, the Home Department also informed about these transfers that orders for the transfer of Superintendent of Police (SP) and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) have been issued in the state police. Significantly, this is the first time after the change of power in Maharashtra that such a large number of IPS officers have been transferred.
This follows a similar incident under the current state government when, a day after a round of transfers of SP-rank officers on October 21, some of the transferred officers were asked to continue in the same posting or were transferred to other posts.
Incidentally, it was current state Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis who had raised questions when IPS postings had been stayed a day after transfer orders during the erstwhile Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government’s regime, and sought answers about the reason behind the same.
An order issued on Tuesday by ADG (establishment), S K Singhal, stated that apart from Prashant Mohite, Namrata Patil, Sandeep Doiphode, Deepak Deoraj, Sunil Lokhande, Prakash Gaikwad, Tirupati Kakade, Yogesh Chavan and Sharmila Gharge, other officers mentioned in the transfer order on Monday should be relieved immediately.