In an order issued by the Maharashtra Home Department Wednesday, Pandey was transferred to the DGP office as IG (Administration) and 1995-batch IPS officer Niket Kaushik, who was with the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), was made the new MBVV Police Commissioner.

On Tuesday, workers of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and Shiv Sena (UBT), and activists of the Marathi Ekikaran Samiti, hit the streets in Thane over the Marathi issue.

The protest had been called in response to a bandh organised by local shopkeepers in Thane on July 3 over the assault on one of them in Mira-Bhayandar by MNS supporters, who demanded that he speak in Marathi.

As several protestors were detained, police said they were not granted permission due to law and order concerns.

A senior police officer had said that they had suggested an alternate route to carry out the protest rally but the MNS did not agree to it.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had initially said that he had been informed by the MBVV Police Commissioner that the permission was denied as protestors had refused to budge on the route they wanted to take.

However, by late evening, after the protests gathered momentum and was eventually allowed to go ahead, Fadnavis checked with senior officers as to why permission was not given.

The detained MNS leaders had questioned police personnel as to why they were denied permission for the rally when the traders were allowed to carry out a protest there a few days ago in support of the shopkeeper who had been slapped by MNS party workers.

Senior MBVV officers had, however, clarified that no permission was given to the earlier rally as well and an FIR had been registered against the traders for carrying out the protest march without permission.