MUMBAI: In a development late on Wednesday night, Pune police chief Dr Satya Pal Singh was shunted out and would be replaced by Meeran Borwankar, who is currently the No. 2 in the state CID headquarters. Borwankar would be the first woman commissioner of Pune.

However, there is no official confirmation of the development. The transfer comes a day after curtains came down on the monsoon session of the Vidhan Sabha. Singh, it appears, has been shifted to the Maharashtra Police headquarters in Mumbai.

Singh has been in the line of fire of the general public and politicians, particularly minister of state for home Ramesh Bagwe.

The February 13 blast at German Bakery took place during his tenure and the case still remains unsolved with no arrests being made so far. There has also been recent increase in crime in Pune and a few incidents of sexual assault on women including gang rapes had come to light Singh became the Pune police commissioner on July 17, 2008.

He is an officer of the rank of additional director general of police and is from the 1980 batch of the Indian Police Service. He is a decorated officer and has held important posts like Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Mumbai, Joint Commissioner, SID and Nagpur police chief. Borwankar is currently the Special Inspector General, Crime Investigation Department (CID), Pune. She has in the past served as Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) in Mumbai.

She is an 1981 batch IPS officer.This is the second time in recent past that Borwankar replaces Singh. In 2004, she replaced Singh as Jt CP (Crime) in Mumbai when the former was transferred as Special Inspector General of Police in Konkan range. She has also served as Deputy Commissioner (Port Zone) in Mumbai, as Aurangabad DSP for three years and SP (CID) for three years.

She was part of the investigation team that busted the Jalgaon sex scandal. While working in Satara as District Superintendent of Police, she busted an inter-state gang of dacoits. She was honoured with the President’s Medal for meritorious service in 1997.

In 1999, she was promoted as Deputy IG of Police had did a stint with the CBI.