Conducting peaceful polls is priority, says Mumbai`s top cop

Mumbai: Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria said here on Friday that his priority is to help conduct free, fair and peaceful polls in the city and his entire department is gearing up to do its best. "All of you already know our priorities are to ensure safety and security of women, children and senior citizens, besides preventing crimes as well as coming down heavily on criminals. While retaining our earlier priorities, at present our focus is to ensure free and fair elections in the city," Maria told reporters.

The high-profile officer was speaking to reporters after being felicitated by the Mumbai Crime Reporters` Association. The Mumbai city goes to polls on April 24. The city top cop, who meets hundreds of citizens daily at his sprawling office at the police headquarters, said that the public`s expectations from the department have increased tremendously. "I told my officers that I may pressurise them in a bid to meet the public`s expectations," Maria said. He attributed his successful career of 33 years in the police department to the support of his seniors and the hard work of his juniors. Maria was appointed Mumbai Police Commissioner in February this year. The senior IPS officer is known for detecting the 1993 serial bomb blasts which had killed 227 people in 13 bomb blasts. He also led a team that arrested 22 Indian Mujahideen members after the Gujarat bomb blasts in 2008. He was the chief interrogator in the 26/11 terror attack case before being appointed as chief of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad.