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SC likely to hear ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh’s petition on March 26
In his plea, Singh claimed that he was transferred to a low-key post in Mumbai Police’s Home Guards by an order on March 17 “immediately” after he brought the corrupt practices of home minister Anil Deshmukh to the knowledge of Maharashtra CM, deputy CM, and some other senior leaders
The Supreme Court is likely to hear on March 26 a petition by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, demanding a CBI probe against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh for allegedly running a “money collection scheme” through the police department.
Singh, who was shunted out over the case of explosives found in an abandoned SUV outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, and the subsequent arrest of suspended police officer Sachin Vaze in the case, had filed a writ petition in the top court on Monday.
In his plea, Singh claimed that he was transferred to a low-key post in Mumbai Police’s Home Guards by an order on March 17 “immediately” after he brought the corrupt practices of Deshmukh to the knowledge of Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar and some other senior leaders in the state government.
“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 evidence are destroyed,” said the petition, filed through advocate Abhinay.
It contended that NCP leader Deshmukh held various meetings in February 2021 at his residence with police officers, including Sachin Vaze of Crime Intelligence Unit, Mumbai, and Sanjay Patil, ACP (Social Service Branch), Mumbai, bypassing their seniors, and asked them to collect ₹100 crore every month from establishments such as bars, hookah parlours, restaurants.
Singh has also submitted that he was being made a “scapegoat to divert attention” in the Antilla case, highlighting that while there were vertically five officers between him and Vaze, Deshmukh was the one meeting Vaze at his residence.
Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi is expected to represent Singh in the Supreme Court.
In the bomb scare case, now being investigated by the National Investigation Agency, Vaze has already been arrested. The state ATS has also named Vaze the main accused in the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran who was in possession of the SUV found with the explosives, but reported it stolen a few days before the incident.
