Speaking to journalists here on Wednesday after the state Cabinet meeting, Chavan said he had never hinted that senior Director General of Police (Anti-Corruption Bureau) Hasan Gafoor would be appointed the new DGP of the state and stated that he had only said the Gafoor was one of the names in the panel of three IPS cadre for consideration for the top post.

Chavan denied that injustice was done to any aspirant for the post and said "comparative merits" was the only criteria considered by a committee.

Justifying the selection of Shivanandan, Chavan said it was but natural. "When someone is appointed, then someone has to be superseded and that happened in the case of Gafoor."

To a volley of questions by the journalists on Gafoor's issue, the chief minister denied there was a lobby that had worked hard to ensure the promotion of Shivanandan to the top cop post.

Rumors were doing rounds in police circles that the south Indian lobby was behind the selection of Shivanandan, also a south Indian.