MVA ‘surprised’ as SC transfers Param Bir Singh case to CBI

Sachin Sawant, Maharashtra Congress general secretary, asked if the supreme court’s order meant that the State police was not credible while the CBI was impartial.

Mumbai: The ruling coalition in Maharashtra and the state government expressed amazement at the Supreme Court’s decision to transfer the investigation into five criminal cases against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi government called the order a “surprise” and said that it would study the order.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said that the only thing left for the MVA is to create doubt on the order of courts. (HT PHOTO)

“We got to know about the judgement through the media and were surprised by it. We will get a copy of the order through the lawyers. We will then study the reasoning and how the order is worded, only then we can give an appropriate response,” Shambhuraj Desai, minister of state for home, said in Vidhan Bhavan.

The minister, however, dismissed that the order was a setback to the MVA government and said that the government respected the court’s verdict. “The court’s order cannot be called as a setback. Maha Vikas Aghadi has faced many such instances in the past two years. Our leadership is strong that such instances will not have any impact and we will not budge.”

Shiv Sena MP and chief spokesperson Sanjay Raut echoed Desai’s views and said the apex court’s order to transfer all cases against Param Bir Singh to CBI was not a “setback” to the Maharashtra government.

“This is not a setback to Maharashtra government but a relief to a certain person. Whenever the Maharashtra government is trying to reach the real culprits based on facts, such judgements come. I am surprised such relief is provided only to a particular political party,” he said.

“When Maharashtra police are concluding a case and around that time a judgement come. Why do such orders don’t come in other’s cases?” the Sena leader added.

The Rajya Sabha MP from Sena added that Maharashtra police was equipped to probe the case against Singh impartially. “Maharashtra police is capable. How can remarks be passed that Maharashtra police cannot probe impartially?” he asked, adding, “It is unfortunate, but the people of Maharashtra are seeing everything.”

Sachin Sawant, Maharashtra Congress general secretary, asked if the supreme court’s order meant that the State police was not credible while the CBI was impartial. “We don’t have any other words than expressing amazement at the judgement. It (Judgement) can mean that State investigating machinery is not credible while CBI is pious and impartial. Some of the recent judgements are beyond our comprehension,” Sawant said in a tweet.

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil said that the only thing left for the MVA is to create doubt on the order of courts. “Like they claim that the central agencies act as per the directions of the party, now the MVA is saying that even the Courts do what BJP says. It does not work that way.”

“Param Bir Singh might have moved court, saying Maharashtra government won’t give him justice. Take Nawab Malik, for instance. Did we put him in jail? The courts saw the evidence, and he was sent to judicial custody. The High Court also dismissed his case,” Patil told regional TV channels in Kolhapur.

The BJP leader further added, “Since the case will be probed by the CBI now, Param Bir will be able to speak freely.”