Param Bir Singh Moves SC; Seeks CBI Probe Against Anil Deshmukh

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh based on allegations made by him.

The plea in the top court was filed days after the shunted top cop sent a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray outlining his allegations against Deshmukh.

Param Bir Singh told the Supreme Court that Deshmukh met now suspended police officer Sachin Vaze and Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Patil directing them to collect Rs 100 crores monthly from various establishments.

Singh has also challenged his transfer as the Dierctor General Home guards on the grounds that it was done in an "illegal and arbitrary" manner.

Singh was unceremoniously removed as Mumbai's police commissioner and posted as the Director General, Home Guards, last week.

With allegations rife about Vaze's alleged involvement in the Antilla Bomb scare—gelatin sticks found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani's Mumbai residence—and murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran—the owner of the car in which the explosives were found—Singh's removal was viewed as a fail-safe move by the Maharashtra government.

Also Read: Anil Deshmukh Asked Vaze To Extort Rs 100 cr: Param Bir Singh's Explosive Letter

Probe matter before evidence is destroyed: Singh to SC

Deshmukh abused his official position as Home Minister by calling and directly instructing the police officers of lower ranks for his malicious intent of extorting money from establishments across Mumbai and from other sources; interfering in the investigations and directing the same to be conducted in a particular manner; indulging in corrupt malpractices in posting /transfers of officers, Singh's petition read.

Singh's plea has thus sought an "unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation" by the CBI in the "corrupt malpractices" before the evidence is "destroyed".

Based on evidence gathered through telephonic interceptions, Rashmi Shukla, the Commissioner Intelligence, State Intelligence Department had alerted the Director General of Police about Deshmukh's alleged malpractices in August 2020. "She was shunted out rather than taking any firm action against said Shri Anil Deshmukh," Singh's petition said.

Based on the circumstances, his transfer is "smeared with malice, when there is no iota of material or evidence – far from proof – found or even imputed" against him and "is solely based on conjectures, surmises and pure speculation, without detail of any sort against the petitioner having been noticed by anybody," Singh's petition read.