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Updated March 22nd, 2021 at 16:56 IST

Param Bir Singh moves SC; seeks impartial CBI probe into Anil Deshmukh's 'malpractices'

Param Bir Singh has moved Supreme Court to seek an impartial and fair investigation into the alleged malpractices of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
Credits: PTI/ANI
| Image:self
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In a major new flashpoint in Maharashtra's Vazegate scandal, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has now moved the Supreme Court to seek an impartial and fair investigation into the alleged malpractices of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Param Bir Singh's decision to approach the SC comes amid MVA leaders, including Sharad Pawar, refuting the explosive extortion allegations levelled against the NCP leader. Senior advocate and former A-G Mukul Rohatgi will represent Param Bir Singh in the CBI.

Param Bir seeks CBI probe into Anil Deshmukh's 'malpractices'

Detailing on his plea, Param Bir Singh submitted to the SC that Anil Deshmukh had been holding meetings in February 2021 at his residence with police officers including Sachin Vaze and Sanjay Patil, bypassing their seniors and had instructed them that he had a target to accumulate Rs. 100 crores every month and had directed to collect money from various establishments and other sources. The former Mumbai police CP also claimed that the State Intelligence Department had brought to the notice of the DGP in August 2020 about the corrupt malpractices in postings and transfers by Anil Deshmukh. 

Param Bir Singh's full petition to Supreme Court

Final_Writ_Petition_for_Filing-PB Singh vs. State of Maharashtra by Republic on Scribd

In his petition, Param Bir Singh has informed about the various meetings chaired by Home Minister Anil Deshmukh towards the end of February with Crime Intelligence Unit's (CIU) Sachin Vaze in the presence of his personal secretary. Further, the former Mumbai Police CP has claimed that his transfer to DG of Home Guards was politically influenced and was moved by certain leaders who he claimed were aggrieved by his revelations on Anil Deshmukh. 

Param Bir Singh has accused Anil Deshmukh of abusing his power as Home Minister for calling and directly instructing police officers for 'extorting money from establishments across Mumbai and from other sources' and for interfering in investigations. Param Bir Singh demanded a fair CBI investigation to probe Anil Deshmukh's abuse of the office of Home Minister. Further, Param Bir Singh also informed SC that he had shared the details of Anil Deshmukh's alleged malpractice with CM Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders of the government. 

In his plea, Param Bir Singh makes the following allegations, among others:

  • That in August 2020, the then Commissioner Intelligence of the State Intelligence Department had brought to the notice of the Maharashtra DGP and consequently the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department the 'corrupt malpractices in postings/transfers by Anil Deshmukh'. He writes, 'she was shunted out rather than taking any firm action against Anil Deshmukh.'
  • He goes on to state that 'each act of Anil Deshmukh in abuse of official position of the Home Minister, whether in calling and directly instructing the police officers of lower rank such as Vaze and Patil for his malicious intent of extorting money from establishments across Mumbai and from other sources, or whether in interfering in the investigations and directing the same to be conducted in a particular manner, or whether indulging in corrupt malpractices in posting/transfer of officers, cannot be counteranced or justified in any democratic state.'
  • He proceeds to say, "Fair CBI investigation is thus warranted in each of such acts of Anil Deshmukh in abuse of the official position of the Home Minister"

Sharad Pawar attempts alibi for Anil Deshmukh

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar provided a technical defence to refute allegations levelled by former Mumbai Police CP Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, presenting an alibi to support his fellow NCP leader. Addressing a press conference for the second consecutive day on Monday in Delhi, Sharad Pawar claimed that Anil Deshmukh had been admitted to a hospital in Nagpur from February 5 to February 15 due to Covid, and that hence Param Bir Singh's meeting with the Home Minister - which was mentioned in the CP's letter to have taken place in mid-February - could not have taken place as the NCP leader was also quarantined on his discharge from the hospital from February 15 to 27. It is pertinent to point out that Param Bir Singh in his letter has not mentioned the exact date of his meeting with Anil Deshmukh and has instead said in and around mid-February, with the closest indication being end-February. Furthermore, Pawar's alibi was challenged even as the briefing was going on.

Sharad Pawar's claims that Anil Deshmukh was quarantined from February 15 onwards is challengeable as the state Home Minister had held a press conference on the same day to offer a clarification on celebrity tweets on the issue of farmers' protest, noting that he had ordered an inquiry into BJP's IT cell and not on Bharat Ratnas Sachin Tendulkar and Lata Mangeshkar. In the video which he tweeted on February 15, Anil Deshmukh is seen surrounded by his guards while he is speaking to the media with his mask below his chin. When Sharad Pawar was asked about this press conference on Monday, he refused to comment on it.

Defending Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Sharad Pawar asked why Param Bir Singh delayed making the revelations by a month despite possessing information a month before. Further, the NCP chief admitted that Param Bir Singh had informed him of the allegations levelled against Anil Deshmukh before the explosive letter was penned. Sharad Pawar labelled Param Bir Singh's letter as an effort to deviate the investigation into the Antilia bomb scare which he claimed was 'the main issue.' 

Sharad Pawar's second briefing in as many days was far more contentious than the nervous presser from Sunday. With clouds circling over the MVA government and the NCP bearing the brunt of the allegations on account of Anil Deshmukh potentially being answerable on both fronts - on the Antilia case as the law and order machinery comes under him, and also because his own former CP has accused him - Pawar was cross-questioned on a number of aspects of the controversy. This happened even as the entire scandal reached Parliament on Monday morning with a fierce debate ensuing in the Lok Sabha as the lower house took note of the goings-on in Maharashtra.

Param Bir Singh's letter accusing Anil Deshmukh

In his 8-page letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray, Param Bir Singh has refuted Deshmukh's statements that his transfer was due to 'serious lapses in the investigation', the 'serious lapses are not pardonable', and that his transfer was 'not on administrative grounds'. Furthermore, Singh alleges that 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'. Accepting his police force's full responsibility, Singh in the letter claimed that there was no evidence against him and invited to check the call records of Sachin Vaze if need be.  Meanwhile, also on Monday, the NIA and ATS have each been visiting various locations in relation to Sachin Vaze and the Mansukh Hiren death case.

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Published March 22nd, 2021 at 14:48 IST

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