Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai (SHP)

Mumbai, Feb 18: Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria has finally broken his silence over his sudden transfer during the investigation of the Sheena Bora murder case and allegations that he had tried to shield and protect Peter Mukerjea who along with his former wife Indrani is accused in the 2012 murder of his step-daughter Sheena.

In 2015 Mumbai Police arrested Indrani Mukerjea for the murder of Sheena Bora in 2012. The IPS officer, Rakesh Maria who was at the time the Mumbai Police commissioner was also heavily involved in the interrogation scene.

However, when the Sheena Bora case captured national attention, Maria was promoted and transferred as director-general of home guards. The transfer by the Maharashtra government, then led by Devendra Fadnavis was believed to be because the former CM Fadnavis was unhappy with Maria's role in the Sheena Bora murder case.

To settle the speculations the Fadnavis government released a statement which stated that Maria would continue to oversee the investigation even though he was not a part of Mumbai Police anymore. But, the government ended up transferring the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation -- a move that was seen as a bid to end the controversy surrounding the murder investigation.

Now, Rakesh Maria has come forward to reveal his version of events in a tell-all book. His book titled 'Let Me Say It Now', discloses how a top Mumbai Police officer had kept Maria in the dark about crucial information related to the Sheena Bora murder case. The book by Maria also details how he suspected somebody wrongly briefing the former CM Fadnavis about the murder case on his behalf.

The transfer itself was sudden, Maria writes, adding that he was informed about it via a text message. In the book, Maria goes on to question if the Maharashtra government knew of his successor Javed Ahmed's links to the Mukerjeas. Maria also questioned what happened to the inquiry launched to investigate lapses on part of the Raigad district police, who in 2012 recovered human remains that were later found to be Sheena's.

In his book, Maria says that he was kept in the dark by Mumbai Police's then joint commissioner Deven Bharti -- who was responsible for law and order -- about knowing Peter and Indrani. According to the book, during interrogation, Peter told Maria that he had approached Deven Bharti in 2012 to complain about Sheena going missing. Bharti did not inform Maria about this.

Maria mentions one incident at Khar Police station when he confronted Peter about keeping mum on Sheena's sudden disappearance in 2012. To which Peter replied, "Sir, I had told Deven!"

"How come Mantralaya sources did not see the danger that this could be an attempt to appoint a Mukherjee friendly CP?" Rakesh Maria on his transfer.
Maria says it took some time for the investigation team to realise that Deven Bharti was approached with a missing complaint of Sheena. "I looked at Deven with a quizzical look on my face, but he was poker-faced," Maria writes, adding that all the officers in that interrogation room were taken aback at Peter's disclosure but tried to look unaffected.

Maria says he didn't question Bharti at the time since their subordinates were present in the interrogation room. Peter's response to Maria's question was an indication that Deven Bharti knew more than he let out. Maria says that night was sleepless for him since he wanted to understand what had Peter told him that night.

The next morning, however, before Maria could contemplate he was abruptly transferred. Maria stated that his transfer was through a text message courtesy of the then additional chief secretary (Home) KP Bakshi.

Maria goes on to describe what happened next -- including Maharashtra government's unusual statement that he would continue overseeing the Sheena Bora case -- as a 'flip-flop' and 'somersaults that the athletic Mantralaya tsars were executing'.

Maria also mentions that it was unusual for a Mumbai Police commissioner to be transferred like he was just before the ten-day Ganpati festival, during which the city police makes extensive security arrangements.

In his book, Maria also spilt the beans on his successor, Ahmed Javed. Maria asks whether the government knew that the Mukerjeas were once invited to an Eid party thrown by Javed. "How come Mantralaya sources did not see the danger that this could be an attempt to appoint a Mukherjee friendly CP?" Maria questions.

Maria also highlights the fact that Javed was in-charge of crime and law of all district police stations in Maharashtra when the human remains were discovered in the Gagode forest of Raigad district. The remains were later identified as that of Sheena Bora.

"An enquiry was launched into the serious lapses on the part of the district police to ascertain if there was an attempt to destroy evidence... what happened to that enquiry?" Maria questions in his book.

In his book, Maria discards the allegations that he misled Devendra Fadnavis on Peter Mukerjea's involvement in the Sheena Bora murder case. In certain media reports, Fadnavis was quoted as saying that he was briefed that Peter was not involved in Sheena's murder.

However, Maria claimed that his version was different than that of what the media reported. He says that he spoke to Fadnavis about the Sheena Bora murder case only once and had told him that Peter was not in India at the time of the crime, but his involvement was being probed.

Maria says he spoke to Fadnavis about his statements over text messages and was assured that a clarification would be issued. However, the clarification backfired on Maria.

Back in the time, media reports quoted the chief minister saying that Maria was promoted to put an end to controversies surrounding him. Meanwhile, Fadnavis who stated that Maria should be given the benefit of the doubt, also announced that the case was transferred to CBI.

Maria admits that there may have been some miscommunication between him and Fadnavis and says he suspected that somebody had wrongly briefed Fadnavis on his behalf.

Maria also reveals that he sought permission from then additional chief secretary (Home) KP Bakshi to clear his name in the media. He wanted to remove the 'scandalous and defamatory aspersions' that were cast on his role. However, Bakshi never replied and Maria retired three months later.