Mumbai, Sept. 9 (The Telegraph): The Devendra Fadnavis government today formally asked Rakesh Maria to "supervise" the Sheena Bora murder case, apparently rushing to mollify the ousted police commissioner lest he write a tell-all book implicating politicians and a business house close to the BJP.

Sources said a senior Union minister with links to the corporate group too had called to advise that the blow to a sulking Maria, kicked upstairs yesterday to the innocuous post of director-general (homeguards), be softened.

Fadnavis had acted after Maria defied his order not to question the suspects personally, driving straight to the police station concerned on Monday night.

NCP leader Nawab Malik, though, cited another reason: Maria's pursuance of the money trail, allegedly armed with evidence against the corporate house. Apparently, two Delhi politicians are also involved, other sources said.

Today, Maria seemed to be sending out various signals. First, he told reporters that reports saying he would resign were wrong. His aides said the comment meant the exact opposite: he was threatening to quit and had told the government he might write a tell-all book. This intensified the placatory efforts that had begun yesterday itself when state home secretary K.P. Bakshi had said Maria would continue to supervise the Sheena investigations.

Today, Maria told reporters he would not take up the responsibility as the government hadn't asked him to till then.

Soon, PTI quoted the state's junior home minister, Ram Shinde, as saying that "an official communication" had been sent to Maria asking him to "supervise" the case.

Asked if the investigators would report also to new police commissioner Ahmed Javed, Shinde said: "For this particular case, the investigation officers will report to Rakesh Maria only."

People close to Maria said he was mulling his choices. "There's ammunition on both sides," a senior officer said.

"Between 2003 and 2004, when (Sheena's stepfather) Peter Mukerjea helmed STAR, three serials had been commissioned to Kalaniketan, a TV and film production house owned by Maria's family," the officer said. If the government wants to make it an issue, it can ask questions on some purported payments and whether a conflict of interest was at play, the officer added.

Sources said Fadnavis had been looking to remove Maria ever since his pictures with Lalit Modi in London were published.

Photo credit: The Telegraph