Nashik Police commissioner who banned songs, bhajans during Azan transferred

Mumbai: Nashik Police Commissioner Deepak Pandey who ordered a prohibition of playing songs and bhajans on loudspeaker during the Azan call in a radius of 100 m of any mosque has been transferred.

Pandey was also a fly in the eyes of the government for calling revenue officials and executive magistrate as RDX and detonators.

Pandey was appointed as the special IG of Prevention of Atrocities against Woman (PAW) – deemed to be a side posting.

When the MNS leader Raj Thackeray had demanded the removal of loudspeakers from mosque, and warning the repercussion if not taken action by May 3, Pandey directed all religious places in Nashik to get permission to use loudspeakers by May 3.

He also warned strict action for the failure of the same.

Besides, Pandey had also written a letter to the DGP urging that the powers of revenue officials and executive magistrate to be given to the police, accusing the officials of making unholy nexus with the land mafia.

The letter had sparked a controversy, with the state Cabinet earlier this month expressing its displeasure over the language used by Pandey in the letter.