Ribeiro denies Thackeray's hand in his appointment

Former Bombay police commissioner Julio F Ribeiro has denied that Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray helped him get the top post in the Bombay police. "I have never asked for any favour to anybody for any post," he said.

An editorial in Saamna, the Shiv Sena's daily newspaper, claimed Thackeray had exercised his influence over then Maharashtra chief minister A R Antulay to get Ribeiro appointed as the police chief.

"I was appointed as police commissioner of Bombay in February 1982. At that time the chief minister of Maharashtra was Babasaheb Bhosle. Antulay was nowhere on the political scene," Ribeiro said, suggesting Thackeray check his facts.

Ribeiro -- who went on to head the Punjab police -- also denied that Antulay had given him a free hand to conduct raids on Bombay's underworld, gambling dens and to check hideouts of criminals in Bombay. He also pointed out that when Antulay was chief minister, M S Kasbekar was Bombay's police commissioner.

"Thackeray's criticism is concomitant with his style. He has stated such lies so many times that he believe them to be true," the former top cop said.

Compiled by Prasanna D Zorey from the Marathi press