The Hindu : Front Page : Mumbai police chief Gafoor replaced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 14, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Front Page

Front Page

Mumbai police chief Gafoor replaced

Rahi Gaikwad and Praveen Swami

Replaced: Police chief Hasan Gafoor.

MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Mumbai Police Commissioner Hasan Gafoor, under fire for his leadership of the force during the November 2008 Lashkar-e-Taiba attacks, has been moved to Maharashtra’s Police Housing Department.

The State government’s decision to replace Mr. Gafoor is being interpreted as a move to deny the Opposition an opportunity to capitalise on the Ram Pradhan Committee Report, which is scheduled to be tabled in the Legislative Assembly shortly.

The former Union Home Secretary, Ram Pradhan, and the retired Research and Analysis Wing officer, Vappala Balachandran, had been appointed by the government to investigate the security set-up’s response to the Mumbai attacks.

Certain lapses

Speaking to journalists last month, Mr. Pradhan said, “There were certain lapses and on those, the Committee has commented in the report and due action should be taken by the government.”

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Gafoor denied that his new assignment was connected to the findings of the Pradhan Committee. “I have been in the post [of Commissioner] for over a year and a half,” he said, “and my promotion was due.”

Additional Director-General of Police D. Sivanandan, who is serving as Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department, has been appointed in Mr. Gafoor’s stead.

In December, an investigation by this newspaper found that Mr. Gafoor and other senior Mumbai police officials had made several errors of judgment, which marred the force’s response to the November attacks.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page