Faced pressure to arrest Balasaheb Thackeray : Ex-ATS chief book

MUMBAI: Nearly a decade after retiring from the police force, former Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief K P Raghuvanshi has said he faced pressure during his career to arrest senior political figures, including Shiv Sena founder Bal Thackeray and RSS functionary Indresh Kumar. According to news agency PTI, the claims are detailed in “Troubleshooter”, an authorised biography written by journalist Jitendra Dixit and released this week in Mumbai. According to the book, Raghuvanshi was asked by a senior minister in the then Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government to arrest Indresh Kumar in connection with the 2008 Malegaon blast case. Raghuvanshi declined, citing what he described as insufficient evidence to justify such action. The biography also recounts an earlier episode in which a senior Maharashtra minister allegedly sought the arrest of Bal Thackeray in relation to the 1993 Mumbai riots. Raghuvanshi is said to have resisted that demand as well. In 2010, before completing his tenure, Raghuvanshi was transferred out as chief of the Maharashtra ATS. The book links his removal to his refusal to comply with the alleged pressures, though it does not cite documentary proof of a direct connection. The launch of the biography was attended by several senior police officials, including former Director General of Police A N Roy, who released the book in Raghuvanshi’s presence. Mumbai Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, former CBI director Subodh Jayaswal, former DGP Rashmi Shukla and current ATS chief Nawal Bajaj were also present. Raghuvanshi retired in 2015 as Director General of the Maharashtra Security Force. He currently heads the vigilance unit of the Indian Premier League franchise Rajasthan Royals.