Param Bir Singh moves HC against Maharashtra’s enquiry orders

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh has filed a fresh petition in the Bombay high court (HC), complaining about efforts to thwart the CBI probe into allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and also challenging the decision of the state government to entrust enquiries against him to director-general of police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey.

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh has filed a fresh petition in the Bombay high court (HC), complaining about efforts to thwart the CBI probe into allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and also challenging the decision of the state government to entrust enquiries against him to director-general of police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey. The HC will hear the petition on May 4.

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Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi mentioned the petition for urgent hearing before a bench of justices SS Shinde and Manish Pitale and informed that the petition was challenging the April 1 and April 20 orders of the state government, directing DGP Pandey to inquire whether Singh had violated provisions of the All India Service (Conduct) Rules, 1968 and to look into allegations made by police inspector Anup Dange that Singh’s brother had demanded ₹2 crore for getting him reinstated after he was suspended on disciplinary grounds.

The petition also sought interim reliefs in view of his April 19 representation made to CBI in which he has alleged a criminal conspiracy and malicious attempt to thwart the preliminary inquiry ordered by the HC on April 5 to CBI to investigate into the allegations of corruption made by Singh against Deshmukh. The petition has sought a stay on the inquiry based on the April 1 and 20 order of the state till the petition is not heard and decided.

After hearing the submissions, the bench refused to stay the two orders when the additional public prosecutor informed the court that Singh had not been issued any summons or show-cause notice as yet pursuant to the two orders and hence it was premature to stay the same. The court accepted the argument and in light of the urgency. posted hearing of the petition to May 4.

On March 25, Param Bir Singh had approached the HC through a public interest litigation, seeking an inquiry into the corruption charges by former home minister Anil Deshmukh who had ordered police officers to collect protection money from restaurants and bar and other establishments to the tune of Rs100 crore per month. Singh had alleged that Deshmukh had called police officers Sachin Vaze, SCP Sanjay Patil and DCP Raju Bhujbal to his residence and told them to collect the said amount every month. Singh had alleged that though he was the Mumbai Police commissioner, Deshmukh had bypassed him and had directed his officers to commit cognisable offences. In light of these submissions Singh had sought an independent inquiry by CBI or any other agency into the allegations made by him against Deshmukh. After hearing all sides over a period of ten days, the HC had passed an order on April 5, directing the CBI not to register an FIR, but to conduct a preliminary inquiry and conclude it within 15 days. Thereafter it was left to the discretion of the director, CBI to decide on further course of action.