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Sena defends Param Bir Singh in Saamana, says Delhi lobby had a 'grudge' against him
Shiv Sena in its Saamana editorial on Friday said Param Bir Singh's transfer in relation to the Antilia bomb scare incident does not mean he is guilty.
At a time when the Maharashtra government is saying that Mumbai’s former police commissioner Param Bir Singh's transfer is because of some “serious and unforgivable mistakes” committed by his colleagues, Shiv Sena, a constituent of the states Maha Vikas Aghadi government, chose to defend the former police commissioner. In its editorial on Friday in Saamana, the party mouthpiece, Sena said his transfer does not mean he is guilty.
The bomb scare incident outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house Antilia in February led to the major shake-up in the city’s police force. On Wednesday (March 17), Param Bir Singh was transferred to a low-key post in Home Guard and senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale was made the new commissioner, after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze and claimed that there are many other players involved in the case.
Watch | 'Param Bir Singh transferred to aid probe in Sachin Waze case': Anil Deshmukh
“The government has to do the rejig in police under certain specific circumstances. Param Bir Singh was replaced in the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner, which doesn't mean he is guilty. He took the command of the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner during very difficult times," read the editorial, as reported by news agency ANI. It also took a note of Singh’s commitment towards the fight against Covid-19, as he went to Dharavi, which was a hotbed of infections last year.
Broaching the cases of Sushant Singh Rajput and TRP scam, Sena wrote that a lobby in Delhi had grudges against him, following the unearthing of the TRP scam.
Seeking justification of an NIA (National Investigation Agency) probe into the case, Sena asked what the terror angle is in this case. "NIA investigates matters related to terrorism. But despite not having any link to terrorism, the agency has been handed over the case. What is the matter? What probe did the NIA do in the Uri attack, the Pathankot attack, and the Pulwama attack? How many criminals have been arrested? This too is a mystery. But 20 gelatin sticks in Mumbai seems to prove to be a big challenge for NIA," it wrote.
An explosive-laden SUV was found parked outside Antilia on February 25. Twenty-odd gelatin sticks and a threat letter were found. The SUV was traced to Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran who was found dead soon after the incident – on February 5. Hiran’ wife complained against Waze claiming Waze was forcing Hiran to get arrested in the case.
