Mumbai, Aug 20: In a major reshuffle, the alliance government on Wednesday transferred 19 police officers including the commissioner of police SK Malhotra.

Malhotra, who has been criticised by Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, for the deteriorating law and order in Greater Mumbai has been appointed as the managing director of Police Housing and Welfare Corporation.

He has been replaced by additional director general of police, law and order, RH Mendonca who is believed to be a close confidante of deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde. Malhotra's transfer was a foregone conclusion after the broad daylight murder of audio-cassette king Gulshan Kumar last week and killing of builder Nattubhai Desai on Tuesday. Mendonca, a recipient of the Rashtrapati Award, has served as police commissioner of Thane and Pune and additional DGP, state CID (crime). During this stint he has handled the sensational Ramesh Kini murder case.

SS Puri, MD, Police Housing and Welfare Corporation will replace Mendonca. PS Pasricha, special inspector general of police has been appointed as city joint commissioner of police, law and order, replacing CS Azad who will be new deputy commandant general of home guards and deputy director, civil defence.

Present incumbent in home guards and civil defence VK Talwar has been appointed as special IGP, protection of civil rights, replacing PKB Chakravarty who will be new Nagpur CP. T Singarwel, present Nagpur CP, has been appointed as IGP, prisons, replacing present incumbent MG Naravane who will be new special IGP, traffic.

KK Kashyap, commissioner CID (intelligence) has been appointed CP, Pune, replacing AK Agarwal who will take over as special IGP, anti-corruption bureau. SS Suradkar will take over as special IGP, railways, from DN Jadhav who has been appointed as commissioner CID (intelligence). TC Wankhede, director, public prosecution, has been appointed as special IGP (planning and coordination).

PRR Sharma, additional CP, Pune, has been appointed as the deputy IGP, CID (crime), Pune. SS Vagal, additional CP, Mumbai, has been appointed as deputy IGP Amravati replacing Pankaj Gupta who will take over as deputy IGP, state reserve police force, Nagpur. C Prabhakar, deputy commissioner of police special branch (protection), has been promoted to the rank of additional CP and posted in Mumbai. Ahmed Javed, assistant IGP (law and order), has been promoted to the rank of deputy-IGP and posted as CP Solapur replacing Mahesh Gauri who has been appointed as additional CP, Pune.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.