Additional Director General of Police (Administration) Dr P S Pasricha was on Tuesday evening appointed Mumbai commissioner.

His predecessor, R S Sharma, who went on leave after the Special Investigation Team looking into the multi-crore fake stamp paper scam raised questions on his role in the scam, has been shunted to the administration department. Sharma is due for retirement in less than two weeks.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Satya Pal Singh was made the interim police chief after Sharma went on leave.

Dr Pasricha will take up his new assignment on Wednesday.

His appointment came after Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar arrived in the city from New York on Monday night and discussed the issue with Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Tuesday.

Dr Pasricha has a Herculean task on his hands -- restoring the city police's prestige, which has taken a severe beating following the arrest of many policemen in connection with the stamp paper scam.