Corrupt practices by cops, politicos must be probed: Ex-Mumbai top cop’s plea in HC

The petition has also called for the report, said to be submitted by former commissioner of intelligence to state, and all the files related to it, to be placed before HC

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh on Thursday filed a criminal public interest litigation (PIL) in the Bombay high court (HC), seeking a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the alleged malpractices resorted to by Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh. Singh, who approached HC on Supreme Court’s directions, has also sought the seizure of the CCTV footage of the minister’s home in his petition.

The PIL also claimed that Singh had written to the chief minister and other leaders, apprising them of Deshmukh’s meetings with the police officers and his interference in the functioning of the police force, but he was transferred. (HT File)

His PIL has also called for the report, said to be submitted by ex-commissioner of intelligence Rashmi Shukla to the state, and all the files related to it, to be placed before HC.

Singh’s PIL, filed through advocate Akshay Bafana, has alleged that Deshmukh had bypassed him while he was the Mumbai Police commissioner and called suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze to the minister’s residence and told him that he had a target of ₹100 crore to collect per month.

The PIL further stated that a few days later, Deshmukh called assistant commissioner of police (ACP) Sanjay Patil of the social service branch and held discussions about hookah parlours in the city, and instructed officers of the force to conduct investigations into various crimes as per his whims.

The PIL also claimed that Singh had written to the chief minister and other leaders, apprising them of Deshmukh’s meetings with the police officers and his interference in the functioning of the police force. However, instead of taking action against Deshmukh, Singh was transferred to home guards department on the basis of a March 17 order of the home department, the petition alleged. It further pointed to the unceremonious transfer of Shukla, after she reported Deshmukh’s interference in matters pertaining to postings and transfers in Maharashtra, to the director general of police (DGP), who in turn informed the additional chief secretary of the home department.

In light of these submissions, the PIL sought an “urgent, independent, unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation in the various corrupt malpractices of Deshmukh” by CBI, among other pleas.

Meanwhile, another PIL has been filed by an advocate, Ghanshyam Upadhyay, seeking a court-monitored probe by CBI or Enforcement Directorate (ED) into the alleged various malpractices by police officers including Singh, Vaze, Patil and deputy commissioner of police Bhujbal, as well as Deshmukh and other politicians for “extorting money” from nearly 1,750 bars and restaurants in the city.

Both the petitions will come up for hearing in due course.