Former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh has petitioned the Supreme Court for an “impartial and equitable inquiry” by the Central Bureau of Investigation into Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh’s “various corrupt malpractices.” He’s also fighting his transfer to the Maharashtra Home Guards, which was ordered by the Maharashtra government last week due to lapses in the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare investigation.
Mr Singh was the one who accused the home ministry of graft in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray last week.
Mr Deshmukh had initiated an extortion racket with several officials, including Sachin Waze, who was arrested in the Mukesh Ambani explosives case, according to his letter. He wrote that the officers were given a monthly target of 100 crores and told to collect the money from pubs and restaurants.
He also accused the minister of interfering with probes, accusing him of ordering officers to act based on his political agenda, despite the chain of command.
Mr Singh’s appeal to the Supreme Court came as Sharad Pawar, the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party, questioned his motivations.
Mr Pawar claims that the officer made his accusation after being transferred from the Mumbai top post to the Home Guards due to lapses in the Mukesh Ambani security scare investigation.
Mr Pawar claimed today that the officer was merely attempting to deflect attention away from the investigation into the Mukesh Ambani security scare. He claimed that the home minister was ill at the time Mr Singh referred in his letter and that he was confined to a hospital and then to his house in Nagpur from February 5 to 27.
Mr Singh claimed in his letter that the minister met with police officer Sachin Waze in mid-February to discuss the extortion ring. On March 4, he had another meeting with a group of people at his Mumbai home.
Mr Singh has urged the court to order that CCTV footage from Mr Deshmukh’s home be taken into custody immediately.
Mr Singh also asked the court to overturn his transfer order, claiming that the Maharashtra government’s action was “illegal and arbitrary, in violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Indian Constitution.”
He also requested that the court issue orders protecting him from any coercive measures.
