Param Bir’s allegations: Team of 5 to assist panel

More than five weeks after the appointment of a single-member probe committee under retired high court judge KU Chandiwal, the state on Monday appointed a team of five officials to assist it

More than five weeks after the appointment of a single-member probe committee under retired high court judge KU Chandiwal, the state on Monday appointed a team of five officials to assist it. The delay in deciding the remuneration of the probe committee chief and appointment of the staff to assist it is reportedly because of the parallel probe started by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the case.

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The committee, appointed on March 30, will probe the allegations levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against former home minister Anil Deshmukh. In his letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Singh had alleged that the home minister had asked police officers from crime branch to collect Rs100 crore a month from bars, restaurants and hookah parlours.

The government resolution issued on Monday has named Bhaiyaasaheb Behere, deputy collector with BMC, as secretary of the committee, Ad Shishir Hire as its counsel. Other three retired government officers have been appointed administrative officer (sheristadar), stenographer and office superintendent. The panel has been asked to submit its report in six months. The three-point terms of reference given to the committee include whether Singh has submitted any proof in his letter dated March 20 to establish that Deshmukh or anyone from his office committed any offence as alleged; whether the allegations levelled by Singh, citing the messages from ACP Sanjay Patil, (suspended) API Sachin Vaze, have any truth; and whether they need to be investigated by the ACB or any other agency.