BOMBAY, 7 July - With only a few months left for Bombay Police Commissioner M.N. Singh to retire, a manhunt is already under way for his successor. Political and police corridors are abuzz with hectic lobbying.
The Bombay police commissioner's post, which is of the rank of director general, is considered more prestigious than the state director general's due to the significance it carries the world over.
According to some top police officials who spoke to Arab News, the ruling Democratic Front government which was earlier keen to extend the services of Singh, a tough no-nonsense officer, is having second thoughts after Singh allegedly cooked up the ghoose by touring theUS and Britain to probe the much publicized Al-Qaeeda member Muhammed Afroz case, which put the government in the dock in the courts of law. Afroz was later released on bail, as no concerate evidence could be produced against him.
There are many aspirants for the key post from the 1967 to 1969 batch of serving police officers. But according to key bureaucratic and police circles the top contender is Ranjit Singh Sharma, a 1968 batch officer who is presently commissioner of police in Pune.
Bombay, which is India's commercial hub, is also known for Bollywood and its underworld. In view of the severe security threats posed by the underworld and militant Shiv Sena, the government always picks a tough police officer for the city commissioner's job.
Ranjit Sharma, who was previously joint commissioner of police in Bombay, is known to be a tough cop who has created terror in the hearts of the underworld. It was during his tenure that maximum number of underworld criminals were shot and gangs were forced to flee the city.
Sources said names of police officials T. Singraval, Tukaram Chaudhary, O.P. Bali, Shangari, K.K. Kashyap and few others are also being talked about for the hot seat.
