Munde bypasses CM to reinstate her bodyguards

Mumbai: Rural development minister Pankaja Munde has interfered in the working of the CM-led home department by directing the Mumbai police commissioner to cancel the transfer of two of her bodyguards. Bypassing chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, Ms Munde directly issued directives to the Mumbai police commissioner.

Two police constables, Lakshman Shivram Pawar and Ashok Baburao Patil, attached to the police protection and special security department of Mumbai police, were recently transferred to Mahim police station and Shivaji Park police station in Mumbai, respectively. Both the police constables were earlier deployed for the security and protection of rural development minister Pankaja Munde.

However, displeased with the transfer of two of her bodyguards, Ms Munde wrote a letter to the Mumbai police commissioner, joint commissioner of police and additional commissioner of police (protection and security), directing them to cancel the transfer order and reinstate the constables as her bodyguards. The proper protocol to cancel the transfer order would have been to write to/contact the minister responsible for the said department, which would be the CM in this case as he is in charge of the home department.

Despite various attempts by The Asian Age to contact Ms Munde, she was unavailable for a comment. However, a source attached to her office said, “The letter was sent, but in the matters of transfers of state ministry, the letters are sent to the director general of police, and we do not find any necessity to address the letter to the CM as well.”

Sunil Toke, a constable attached to the Worli local arms division, said, “The political interference in transfers and postings of favourite officers, giving them postings of their choices, irrespective of their performance and their corruption during their stint there… Only police constables and officers without any political influence or connections are the ones who are on the receiving end of transfers.”