Ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh moves SC for CBI probe against Deshmukh

In his writ petition, Singh accused Deshmukh of interfering in various investigations and instructing the police officers to conduct probes in a particular manner as desired by him

Transferred over the bomb scare at billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s residence Antilia and the subsequent arrest of former police officer Sachin Vaze, former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh moved the Supreme Court on Monday, demanding a CBI probe against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh over corruption charges.

Param Bir Singh. (HT archive)

In his writ petition, Singh accused Deshmukh of interfering in various investigations and instructing the police officers to conduct probes in a particular manner as desired by him.

“The petitioner has invoked writ jurisdiction of this Hon’ble Court to seek unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation in the corrupt malpractices of Shri Anil Deshmukh, the Hon’ble Home Minister of Government of Maharashtra, before the evidences are destroyed,” stated the plea, filed through advocate Abhinay.

It added: “The petitioner submits that said Shri Anil Deshmukh had been holding meetings in February, 2021, at his residence with police officers, including Shri Sachin Vaze of Crime Intelligence Unit, Mumbai, and Shri Sanjay Patil, ACP Social Service Branch, Mumbai, bypassing their seniors and had instructed them that he had a target to accumulate ₹100 crore every month and had directed to collect money from various establishments and other sources.”

Calling his transfer a malicious move, Singh contended that he was shunted out by an order on March 17 immediately after he brought Deshmukh’s corrupt practices in the knowledge of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders.

The petition further said: “The transfer of the petitioner in the aforesaid circumstances is for reasons smeared with malice, when there is no iota of material or evidence – far from proof – found or even imputed against the petitioner, and is solely based on conjectures, surmises and pure speculation, without detail of any sort against the petitioner having been noticed by anybody.”

Singh said he was constrained to write a letter to the chief minister on March 22 regarding Deshmukh’s conduct after his transfer, followed by adverse media publicity by the minister, in violation of his right to reputation, dignity, equality and liberty.

In this letter, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh asked Vaze to collect ₹100 crore for him every month—a charge which has been rejected by the state home minister.

Senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi is expected to represent Singh in the Supreme Court. A date of hearing is still to be fixed for Singh’s petition.