Senior IPS officer Javed Ahmed was on Tuesday appointed as the new Mumbai Police Commissioner replacing Rakesh Maria, under whose observation the sensational Sheena Bora murder case was being investigated.

Though Maria was promoted as the Director General of Home Guards and Civil Defence, the move is seen as the top cop being sidelined.

Maria's sudden promotion also raises doubts as his tenure as the police commissioner was to expire on 30 September. He was said to be determined to finish the probe into Sheena murder case and file a chargesheet before leaving the office.

A 1981 batch IPS officer, Maria has also served as the chief of Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad.

Maria was the deputy commissioner of police (traffic) when his team cracked the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Later, his team also solved the 2003 twin blasts case of Gateway of India and Zaveri Bazaar and he was also given the charge of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks case.

The 58-year-old officer was personally leading the Sheena Bora case that involves co-founder of INX Media Indrani Mukherjea, who is one of the three prime accused, as he did not want it be mishandled the way Noida police did in the high-profile case of murder of Aarushi Talwar.

"We will not let this case become like the Aarushi murder case. The reputation of Mumbai Police is at stake," Maria had told Dainik Bhaskar.

Ahmed, who is already a DG rank officer, was reportedly upset after he was ignored for the Mumbai Police commissioner's post last year in place of Satyapal Singh.