Anil Deshmukh's plea in SC not mentioned for hearing today; second CBI team reaches Mumbai

Sources have informed Republic Media Network that another team of CBI officers led by SP rank officer from Delhi reached Mumbai on Wednesday morning. This latest development comes after former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh moved the Supreme Court (SC) challenging the Bombay High Court's order directing a CBI preliminary probe into the extortion allegations levelled against him.

Sources further told Republic TV that before registering a preliminary enquiry, the CBI consulted its legal team and both the teams of CBI (Delhi & Maharashtra) are likely to record some statements on Wednesday."

Anil Deshmukh's plea against CBI's probe not mentioned for hearing today

Earlier on Tuesday, Anil Deshmukh knocked on Supreme Court's doors seeking relief from Bombay High Court's order, which directed a CBI preliminary probe into the extortion allegations levelled against him. In the petition filed in the Supreme Court, the NCP leader has questioned the conduct of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, stating that his credentials cannot be taken at face value. As of Wednesday morning, the case isn't mentioned for hearing in the Supreme Court, with the stated reason being there being some defect in the plea.

Seeking to quash the CBI probe ordered, the ex-Home Minister cites that a High Court-monitored probe could be ordered and attempts to downplay the grave concerns raised over the functioning of the state machinery. Pertinently, the High Court had noted that the accusations levelled by Param Bir Singh against the Home Minister are 'unprecedented' as it ordered a CBI probe to ensure an impartial probe. 

"It is not understood why the state agencies were not given the necessary time frame for conducting the preliminary inquiry. The Court could well have directed that such an inquiry if not completed within 15 days, should be completed within six weeks thereafter as an outer limit. Moreover, even such inquiry could have been monitored by the Hon'ble High Court. The Court chose not to follow that procedure, thereby showing utter lack of confidence in the state machinery as if every investigating officer lacked the confidence of the court in conducting a fair and impartial inquiry," Deshmukh's plea reads. 

High Court orders CBI probe; Deshmukh resigns

On Monday, the Bombay HC ordered a 15-day preliminary CBI inquiry into the 'extortion' charges against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh based on the petition filed by lawyer Jayshri Patil. Once the preliminary inquiry is complete, the director CBI is at discretion to further the course of action. Later, Anil Deshmukh tendered his resignation claiming "I feel it is not morally correct to continue to serve as the Home Minister of Maharashtra". Deshmukh had previously refuted all claims and welcomed a probe into Param Bir Singh's 'extortion' allegations against him.

What has Param Bir Singh claimed?

In an 8-page letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, ex-Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh has alleged that now suspended and arrested API Sachin Vaze had been summoned by Deshmukh to his residence several times in the past few months 'setting a target of accumulating Rs 100 crores a month' from 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai - collecting Rs 2-3 lakhs from each. He added that the Home Minister had said that a monthly collection of Rs 40-50 crores were achievable from such establishments and the rest could be 'collected from other sources. Maharashtra HM Anil Deshmukh refuted all 'extortion allegations' saying that 'involvement of Param Bir Singh and Sachin Vaze in the Mansukh Hiren case seems likely', and hence he was making such allegations to save himself, demanding Singh's suspension.

(Image: ANI, PTI-Representative)