'ACP Vasant Dhoble's transfer to be revoked if found innocent'

BJP leader Vinod Tawde on Wednesday said Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan had assured him that Assistant Commissioner of Police Vasant Dhoble's transfer would be revoked if the probe into a hawker's death last week did not find the controversial cop "guilty".

Dhoble, who had earlier faced severe criticism over his crack-down on pubs and bars in Mumbai, was recently shunted out from his suburban Vakola posting amid protests over the death of the hawker during an eviction drive.

"Chavan said the probe report is expected in a week and if it found that Dhoble had no link with the death, he would be reinstated," said Tawde, the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, after a meeting with the chief minister at Mantralaya in Mumbai.

NCP legislator Vidya Chavan, who also met the CM and Home Minister RR Patil separately, said the home minister informed her that Dhoble's 'GPS tracking location' during the incident would be examined.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has expressed unhappiness over Dhoble's transfer. But Chavan had said the transfer was necessary to ensure impartial inquiry. MNS and Shiv Sena have also opposed the transfer.