Param Bir Singh, asked by SC to approach HC, withdraws plea against Deshmukh

Singh was shunted in connection with the Ambani bomb scare probe and the arrest of police officer Sachin Vaze, accused Deshmukh of running a 'money collection scheme' through the police department.

After the Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain Param Bir Singh's plea seeking a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and asked him to approach the High Court in the matter, the former Mumbai Police chief withdrew the petition, according to news agency PTI.

Param Bir Singh withdrew his plea against Anil Deshmukh (HT Archive)

Singh's petition sought a CBI probe against Deshmukh for allegedly running a 'money collection scheme' through the police department. It also demanded that his transfer to a low-key post in Maharashtra Police’s Home Guards be stayed.

The SC, in its order, noted that the issue was “serious” since it related to administration at large, but added that the high court was a more appropriate forum for deciding the issue.

Singh was shunted in connection with the Ambani bomb scare probe and the arrest of police officer Sachin Vaze. He claimed that he was transferred to the post 'immediately' after he accused the state home minister of corruption in front of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and some other senior leaders.

A two-judge bench, comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and R Subhash Reddy, passed the judgment.