Param Bir moves SC seeking CBI probe into Deshmukh's 'corrupt malpractices'

Singh also urged the apex court to grant him protection from further coercive action by the state

Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday knocked on the doors of Supreme Court against his transfer to Maharashtra Home Guard department.

Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer, also sought CBI probe into alleged corrupt malpractices of Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. He asked the apex court to grant him protection from further coercive action by the state. 

While quashing his transfer order as illegal, arbitrary, he sought SC for "unbiased, impartial probe" into the minister's conduct.

Under flak for "mishandling" of the bomb scare outside Mukesh Ambani's residence, the Maharashtra government on March 17 transferred Singh from the post and appointed senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale, who was holding additional charge of Maharashtra DGP, as the new commissioner of Mumbai Police.

Days after he was shunted out, Singh wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had asked Sachin Waze, currently in custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and other police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly, including Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Anil Deshmukh had denied these allegations.  On Monday, Deshmukh said he was in home quarantine from February 15 to 27 and that he only stepped out of the house for the first time on February 28

Amid demands by the opposition BJP for Anil Deshmukh's resignation, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar said it is clear that during the period about which the allegations were made, Anil Deshmukh was hospitalised.

"As this is clear, such demands hold no power," the NCP supremo said.

 

Meanwhile, the BJP stepped up its attack on the Maharashtra government. Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has said chief minister Uddhav Thackeray has no right to continue in his post.

"Never before had the world seen a bomb being planted by Police. Is this normal? This is an extraordinary issue. The CM has no right to continue in his position," Javadekar said.

"What does it show if his trustworthy personnel plants bomb, as alleged by ATS?" he added