Builder's murder jolts Sena-BJP govt, Bombay police chief shifted

The cold blooded murder of builder Natwarlal Desai in Bombay's busiest commercial zone has jolted the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra.

Realising his faus pas in claiming that the law and order situation was ''well under control'', Chief Minister Manohar Joshi has launched a major offensive. Not only against the state police -- he has ordered a major overhaul of the department which cost Bombay Police Commissioner Subhas Malhotra his job -- but also against the underworld.

Dreaded gangster and Akhil Bharatiya Sena chief Arun Gawli was on Wednesday taken into custody for interrogation in the Natwarlal Desai murder case.

Picking up the gangster-turned-politician from his den -- Dagdi Chawl, Agripada, South Bombay -- was no easy task for the police. As Gawli's men resisted the move, the police had to open fire, killing three gangsters and injuring two cops.

Although Gawli denied he was involved in the murder, the police conducted a combing operation in Dagdi Chawl, when they found one of the rooms locked.

The police tried to unlock the room, when the three gangsters hiding inside fired nearly 15 rounds. The cops returned the fire, killing three gangsters -- Vijay Kamble alias Muchhava Vijay, Vijay Shirodkar alias Sadetin Vijay and Pankaj Pande. Sub-inspector Milan Koyal and a police constable were injured. They were rushed to Nair hospital.

In the major administrative reshuffle announced by the state government, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Rony Mendonsa has been appointed as the new Bombay police commissioner. He replaces Malhotra who, sources said, takes over as the managing director of Maharashtra Police Housing and Welfare Corporation (MPHWC).

S S Puri, who now holds the MPHWC post, has been posted as additional director general of police (law and order) in place of Mendonsa.

In all, 20 officials have been transferred including Special Inspector General of Police P K B Chakraborty who will be the new Nagpur police commissioner. Intelligence Commissioner Kashyap is the Pune police chief.

Special Inspector General of Police (Bombay traffic) S P S Pasricha will be the city's new joint commissioner (law and order). He replaces Charansingh Azad who takes over as the deputy commandant general of home guards.

The shake-up has been effected following the sudden spurt in underworld killings, extortion cases and violence in the metropolis and other parts of the state.

The situation worsened when 10 people were killed in police firing at Ramabai Ambedkar Nagar, Ghatkopar in north-east Bombay, following the desecration of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar's statue. The incident ignited tension all over the state besides several other parts of the country.

About a fortnight back, an attempt was made on the life of film producer Rajiv Rai, followed by the gunning down of audio king and film producer Gulshan Kumar.

Asked why the transfers have been effected, Joshi said it was a ''routine administrative affair''. However, the chief minister said his government would leave no stone unturned in maintaining law and order in the state.

He said his government would strictly enforce the Maharashtra State Prevention of Slum Lords and Dangerous Persons Act.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Indrajit Gupta said he ''doubted if the Maharashtra government was capable of bringing the situation under control''.

Asked what the Centre would do in that case, Gupta said, ''We propose to do certain things which I am not bound to tell you.''

Asked if his statement implied that the state government was incompetent, Gupta said he could not say if there was any deliberate inaction on the part of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party combine.

UNI

EARLIER REPORT:
Builder gunned down in Bombay's busiest commercial area