Controversial police sub-inspector Sachin Suryavanshi, who was allegedly assaulted in the state Assembly after he fined an MLA for over-speeding, has been transferred out of Mumbai.
The Director General Police has transferred him to police training centre in the Sangli district.
Many see this transfer as a punishment for the traffic policeman, but the department described the shifting as a routine transfer. DGP Sanjeev Dayal has said that the officer had himself requested a transfer to his hometown Sangli.
Suryavanshi was beaten up in the Maharashtra Assembly premises by MLAs Ram Kadam of MNS and Bahujan Vikas Aghadi’s Kshitij Thakur. The reason behind this manhandling was a heated argument between Suryavanshi and Thakur after he stopped the MLA for over-speeding on the Bandra-Worli Sealink in March this year. He was subsequently suspended following a breach of privilege motion against him in the state Legislature, but the suspension was revoked in July and he had been reinstated.
On Friday, a senior officer said, “The DGP office recently issued the transfer order of PSI Suryavanshi from Mumbai to Sangli district. He has been given a posting in the police training centre in Sangli,” adding, “Transfers to training centres are generally considered as punishment postings. He was first suspended and then reinstated and now transferred from city police to district police. Its nothing but a departmental punishment for him.”
However, the police department has described the transfer as a routine transfer. DGP Sanjeev Dayal said, “Suryavanshi himself requested for a transfer to Sangli.” However, he is now said to be unhappy with being shunted to the training centre.
Mr Suryavanshi could not be contacted for comment.