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Petitions in HC seek independent probe against ex-Mumbai top cop, Maha home min
While one petition has sought handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or any other independent agency, the second has sought a court-monitored probe
Two petitions were filed in the Bombay high court (HC) on Tuesday seeking similar directions for probing the alleged malpractices purportedly directed by state home minister Anil Deshmukh to former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh.
While one petition has sought handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Enforcement Directorate (ED) or any other independent agency, the second has sought a court-monitored probe by Maharashtra Police or any other independent agency against suspended assistant police inspector (API) Sachin Vaze, Singh, Deshmukh and chief minister (CM) Uddhav Thackeray.
The first petition filed by Mumbai-based advocate Jayshri Patil has referred to the March 20 letter written by Singh to CM, in which the former top cop had alleged that Deshmukh had asked Vaze to collect ₹100 crore every month, including ₹40-50 crore from around 1,750 bars and restaurants. Vaze was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s home last month.
The petition also seeks directions to the police to take cognisance of a written complaint lodged by her before Malabar Hill Police station, seeking the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the alleged criminal conspiracy which Singh pointed out in his March 20 letter. It also sought directions to the investigating officers to secure CCTV footage of the places where the incidents mentioned in the letter took place.
The petition claimed that Deshmukh is allegedly “abusing his powers by instructing police officers to extort money from the businessmen/ citizens, therefore, he is not trustworthy, as he is the person holding the position of the home minister of the state.”
While referring to Singh’s letter, the plea stated, “The home minister has, as a regular practice, been repeatedly calling officers and giving them instructions in respect of the course to be followed by them in performance of their official duties.” The petition further elaborates Singh’s letter to highlight Deshmukh’s alleged corrupt practices and stated, “He [Deshmukh] has been instructing them [officers] to carry out official assignments and collection schemes, including financial transactions, as per instructions based on his expectations and targets to collect money. These corrupt malpractices have been brought to notice by the respondent Singh.”
The petition has also targeted Singh for not bringing such heinous crime in the clutches of law while he was the police chief.
“He was just sitting on it and it doesn’t show good intention. It shows that he was the superior police officer and had powers to take steps in accordance with law under section 154 of the Criminal Procedure Code, but failed to do so, for what reasons is the matter of investigation, after registration of FIR,” stated the petition.
In the wake of Malabar Hill police station refusing to register an FIR based on her complaint, the petitioner has expressed apprehensions of important evidence being destroyed by Deshmukh and others, and hence she had to approach HC. The petition also sought directions to CBI, ED or any other independent agency to conduct “unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation in the alleged malpractices by Deshmukh, Singh and others”.
The HC will hear the plea in due course.
The second petition, filed by Pune-based activist Hemant Patil, has sought directions to Maharashtra Police or any other independent agency under the supervision ofHC against Vaze and his associates for offences including extortion. Patil has stated that after the director general of police and Mumbai Police commissioner said that they could not conduct any inquiry against Deshmukh and Singh under section 166 (public servant disobeying law, with intent to cause injury to any person) of the Indian Penal Code, he had approached the HC.
