Maria won't quit, but confusion clouds Sheen murder probe

Former Mumbai police commissioner Rakesh Maria, who was abruptly promoted as director general of police (Home Guards), on Wednesday categorically assured that he will not quit, as uncertainty hit the investigation into the high-profile Sheena Bora murder case.

Late on Tuesday evening, the Maharashtra government decided that Maria, who handled the case since the beginning, would continue to supervise and monitor the probe.

However, till Wednesday evening, no written order to this effect was received by Maria's office -- and the probe suddenly seemed pushed to the backburner.

According to official sources, the investigations have reached a critical stage with the forensic matching of the DNA samples of the victim with her mother and prime accused Indrani Mukerjea, brother Mikhail Bora and biological father Siddhartha Das.

Besides, the probe has widened to investigating the money and property transactions with the possibility of some big names tumbling out when the police force was jolted by the shake-up on Tuesday.

An officer explained that new police commissioner Ahmad Javed has already taken office and as per norms, all officers and men must report to him.

With Maria supervising the investigation in the Sheena murder case, it was still unclear in what capacity he would be doing it, especially since the two departments -- DGP Home Guards and DGP Mumbai Police Commissionerate -- were vested with different powers and jurisdiction, he added.

Indrani, her ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and her former driver Shyamvar Rai have been arrested in connection with the murder of her daughter Sheena on April 24, 2012, and for dumping her body near a forested area in Gagode village in Raigad district.

The trio have been sent to judicial custody till September 21.