The Congress’ Maharashtra unit on Monday demanded a probe into certain hints referring to a senior politician known as ‘Dada’ in a book penned by former Mumbai Joint Commissioner of Police and ex-Pune Commissioner of Police, Meeran Chadha-Borwankar.
Her book, “Madam Commissioner: The Extraordinary Life of an Indian Police Chief”, released on Sunday, sparked off a storm in political circles over certain references to a political personality pertaining to an alleged land-scam at Yerawada in Pune almost 14 years ago.
Congress state President Nana Patole and Leader of Opposition Vijay Wadettiwar have demanded a probe into the matter, saying that the people have a right to know who is the ‘Dada’ mentioned in the book.
“What is happening in the state… There’s strong resentment in the police administration against the present government. Some people from the Bharatiya Janata Party are conspiring to make the controversial IPS officer Rashmi Shukla as the new DGP,” said Patole.
Wadettiwar said that there are references to certain incidents in the retired IPS officer’s book which need to be probed to get to the truth.
In her book, Chadha-Borwankar – the Pune police chief from 2010-2012 – has recounted how she was pressurised by a ‘Dada’ and the then Guardian Minister of Pune district has pressurised her to release a prime three-acre plot belonging to the police in Yerawada to a private builder.
She mentioned her meeting with the Minister who had a huge paper map of the plot area, and he informed her that the auction on the land was over and she should proceed to hand over the plot to the top bidder.
Resisting, Chadha-Borwankar said it was police land which was needed for future expansion for offices/residential quarters for the police personnel and they could never get such a good property in future.
The Minister overruled her and asked her to complete the (land handover) process, but she refused, pointed out flaws in the auction process and asked why her predecessor had not done it if the land was already auctioned, and it would be contrary to the police department’s interests.
The Minister had lost his cool and threw the map on the glass table, he also made certain unsavoury references to the then Home Minister, the late R. R. Patil, which are not spelt out by her, but after that cold encounter, Chadha-Borwankar saluted the Minister and left the spot.
While present Deputy CM and newly appointed Pune Guardian Minister Ajit Pawar has denied any involvement in that episode, Chadha-Borwankar has chosen not to comment on the row, at least for now.
Incidentally, prior to Chadha-Borwankar, two other former CoPs of Pune had also objected to the property deal with a Mumbai builder, and following strong opposition from the police departments, the state government had examined it afresh in 2011.
Despite several attempts by IANS, Chadha-Borwankar remained unavailable for comments in the row kicked up by her book. Though she has not mentioned any names, Ajit Pawar is respectfully referred to as ‘Dada’ (elder brother) in political circles, was the Guardian Minister at the time in question, and the Mumbai-based builder was later arrested in the 2G Spectrum scam.
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