Arup Patnaik, the former Mumbai police commissioner had been transferred after several allegation against him over the Azad Maidan violence on Aug 11. Home minister RR Patil has announced the new himself on Thursday.

The top cop was promoted as the director general and posted as the managing director of the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), the home minister said.

Replacing Arup, IPS officer Satyapal Singh was appointed as the police commissioner of Mumbai, he added.

Patnaik had been facing the criticism for not handling the August 11 violence at Azad Maidan which was organized by the Raza Academy and several other outfits to protest against the ghastly incidents in Myanmar and Assam. The violence that erupted in Mumbai had killed two people and injured several police.

IPS officer S P Gupta had been positioned as additional dg (training), Patil said.

Patil said that the transfer was a routine administrative process who also mentioned that the file dealing with his transfer was forwarded by the state DG office on 6 July and then later revised and forwarded again on August 8th.

The transfer also comes only two days after the MNS chief Raj Thackerya had accused and demanded the transfer of Arup Patnaik for his irresponsibility in managing the protests at Azad Maidan.

(AW- Anil)