Maharashtra govt starts process to form judicial panel

In an eight-page letter, former Mumbai top cop on March 20 accused home minister Anil Deshmukh of running a bribery ring

A day after chief minister Uddhav Thackeray decided to conduct a probe into the allegations levelled by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh against home minister Anil Deshmukh, the state government began the process to form a judicial commission, which will be headed by a retired judge, Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) insiders said.

On Wednesday, CM Thackeray decided to form a commission to probe Param Bir Singh’s allegations that home minister was asking cops to collect money. (HT File)

On Wednesday, in a meeting of senior ministers held at his residence, Thackeray decided to form a commission to probe Singh’s allegations that Deshmukh was asking police officers to collect money and he had set a target of ₹100 crore for Sachin Vaze, who is now the main accused in the Antilia bomb scare as well as businessman Mansukh Hiran’s death case.

“We need concurrence of a retired judge who will probe the charges levelled against the home minister, which may take a few days,” said an MVA minister, requesting anonymity.

The commission is likely to be formed under the Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, which will give it powers to summon anyone for deposition, seek documents and conduct hearings.

In an eight-page letter, Singh on March 20 accused Deshmukh of running a bribery ring. He brought up the charges through a letter three days after being transferred from his post of Commandant General of Home Guards, Maharashtra, on March 17.

The home minister has welcomed any move to initiate a probe into the charges against him. “I will welcome the move if the chief minister (Uddhav Thackeray) decides to initiate a probe in the allegations levelled against me by Param Bir Singh (former Mumbai police commissioner) as I only requested the chief minister for the same,” he said in a tweet on late Wednesday night. He also shared a letter written to the chief minister on March 21 in which he has requested for an investigation.