Nagpur, July 13: The Chhattisgarh government late last night shunted out director-general of police Vishwa Ranjan, an outspoken though controversial police officer at the helm since 2007.

Ranjan, a 1973 batch IPS officer, has been replaced by Anil Nawaney, who was director-general (home guards).

Ranjan will take over Nawaney’s post and also head the newly formed police housing corporation. Ironically, the change at the helm took place barely hours after Ranjan had flagged off a training session in Raipur for 50 police officers.

The government move is reportedly the result of a rift between home minister Nanki Ram Kanwar and Ranjan that widened as police suffered major setbacks in the battle against Maoists in the past two years.Even Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh had of late aired his displeasure with the police for not effectively tackling the spread of Maoist activity.

In Narayanpur, superintendent of police Mayant Shrivastava suspended 10 policemen after two of the six alleged Maoists arrested on Tuesday escaped from their custody. The Maoists were arrested from village Dhaudai in north Bastar and kept in a Narayanpur jail.

The two rebels who escaped have been on the wanted list for a long time.

Shrivastava also ordered a departmental inquiry against the suspended policemen.