MVA terms Sachin Vaze’s allegations against Anil Deshmukh ’politically motivated’

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition termed the allegations made by dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze against former home minister Anil Deshmukh as “politically motivated”. The allegations are part of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) charge sheet filed recently.

The Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition termed the allegations made by dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze against former home minister Anil Deshmukh as “politically motivated”. The allegations are part of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) charge sheet filed recently. Both the Congress and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said central agencies were trying to stand a fabricated case against Deshmukh and that it was a known fact Vaze was the right hand of former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh.

MVA allies the Congress and NCP said it was a known fact that Sachin Vaze was the right hand of former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh. (HT FILE)

Vaze has, in his statement to ED, claimed ₹40 crore was collected from 10 deputy commissioners of police (DCPs) which was “paid to former home minister and transport minister Anil Parab” for “letting the order of then city police commissioner Param Bir Singh to transfer them go through”.

Deshmukh is being probed by multiple central agencies following allegations made by the former Mumbai Police chief who alleged the former home minister asked police officers to collect bribe of up to ₹100 crore.

“The case is politically motivated and charges are fabricated. They are trying to stand a case against Deshmukh after Singh was removed from the position of Mumbai Police chief and Vaze is a part of it. Everyone knows the fact that Vaze is the right hand of Singh. He was reinstated by him and was also appointed as head of the crime intelligence unit (CIU),” said Nawab Malik, NCP national spokesperson.

Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “They should first decide the actual charges against the former home minister and are coming up with fresh charges every time as they have got nothing to prove against him. The person (Vaze), who hatched the entire Antilia bomb scare conspiracy, and also an accused under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, is being used to build a case against Deshmukh. It shows that the investigation agencies are under tremendous political pressure. We want the truth to come out but don’t have hope that it will happen.”

The BJP said that mentioning the charges by the investigation agencies in the charge sheet was a serious matter. “The charges of a bribe mentioned in the charge sheet means they have something concrete in it. Moreover, MVA cannot deny the fact that Param Bir Singh was appointed as Mumbai Police chief by them only. If Deshmukh is not at all involved, why is he not showing up before the investigation agencies?” said Keshav Upadhye, BJP spokesperson.