Thackeray questions Rakesh Maria's transfer amid Sheena Bora case probe

Maria was promoted as Director General of Police Home Guards in September 2015

Needling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which has made transparency its main plank for the BMC polls, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray on Friday said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should reveal why former city police commissioner Rakesh Maria was transferred in the middle of the sensational Sheena Bora murder probe.

"You talk of transparency...Then tell everybody why Rakesh Maria was abruptly transferred while a crucial probe was on? And if Maria was guilty of some wrongdoing, why was no action been taken against him? What purpose did it serve to bring a new commissioner (Javed Ahmed) who in a few days was sent abroad," Thackeray said while addressing a BMC poll rally in Mumbai.

Maria, who initially led the high-profile case and had also interrogated the accused, was shunted out of the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner and promoted as Director General of Police Home Guards in September 2015. Maria recently retired from the service.

"We had been naive all this while but not anymore. We cannot be with a party that uses photos of Chhatrapati Shivaji and (convicted criminal) Pappu Kalani on the same stage. Soon, they will start using photos of (underworld don) Dawood Ibrahim as well," he said.

Thackeray said the development of Metro rail, the issue that BJP is harping on, was actually initiated by the Congress government and that BJP has only conducted the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremonies.

"Why is BJP in a hurry to get votes on the works done by Congress?" he asked.