This Article is From Jun 11, 2009

Maharashtra ATS gets new chief

Mumbai:

Maharashtra government on Thursday appointed senior IPS officer K P Raghuvanshi as the chief of Anti-Terrorism Squad hours after the Bombay High Court pulled up the authorities over the crucial body remaining headless since the killing of Hemant Karkare in terror attacks here last November.

The appointment of Raghuvanshi, at present Additional Director General of Police, was announced by state Home Minister Jayant Patil on Thursday evening.

Raghuvanshi was holding the additional charge of ATS so far, in addition to his posting as Additional Director General.

Earlier in the day, a division bench of Bombay High Court Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari, while hearing one of the several PILs filed on alleged security lapses during November terror attacks, said "we are sorry to note that head of ATS has not been appointed though more than seven months have passed (after the terror attacks in which Karkare was killed)".

"We are unable to appreciate this attitude," the court said, directing that the post be filled within four weeks.

During the hearing on the petition by advocate V P Patil, the judges asked public prosecutor Satish Borulkar about newspaper reports that no senior IPS officer was willing to take up the post of ATS chief.

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