Govt seeks Sheena case status report

MUMBAI: Amid continuing confusion over who will head the Sheena Bora murder case, additional chief secretary K P Bakshi said he has asked for a status report on the probe and the government will take a final call on the issue.
“I have asked the Khar police to give me the progress report and professionally on the basis of that, we will forward the report to the government,” said new police commissioner Ahmad Javed.With the accused in judicial custody, sources said police officials are collecting evidence, recording statements of witnesses and tying up documentation in the case.
A week ago, police commissioner Rakesh Maria, who was handling the high profile case, was kicked upstairs and Javed brought to his place. Logically, Javed should have taken over the probe, but a government order queered the pitch. Facing fire for abruptly shifting Maria about 20 days before his promotion was due, Bakshi ordered that “the Sheena Bora case will continue to be supervised by Rakesh Maria, irrespective of his elevation and transfer”.
Maria is believed to have communicated to the administration his unwillingness to continue the probe. He reasoned that with Javed in charge, it would be embarrassing for a person of the same rank to be monitoring the probe and also it could create two power centres.
“I have asked police commissioner Ahmad Javed to give me the status report of the progress in Sheena Bora investigation; after that government will take a call on who will head the investigation,” Bakshi told TOI.
The sources said the government is also not keen on Maria handling the case. Moreover, Maria will be going on leave in mid-October as his elder son Kunal is getting married.