Param Bir Singh files plea against Anil Deshmukh in HC after SC directive

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner

Param Bir Singh on Thursday filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay High Court seeking an "immediate and unbiased" probe against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who he claimed asked police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.

The IPS officer had earlier this week approached the Supreme Court, which on Wednesday termed as quite serious the matter in which he had filed a plea against Deshmukh, but asked him to approach the Bombay High Court with his grievances.

Singh said in his plea before the High Court that Deshmukh held meetings at his residence with several Mumbai police officials, including Waze, in February this year.

In these meetings, Deshmukh instructed the officers to collect Rs 100 crore per month from various establishments, the plea reads.

It added that Deshmukh regularly interfered with police functioning and often misused his office. Deshmukh's conduct warranted a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the plea read.

Singh urged the court to direct the CBI to conduct an immediate, unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial, and fair investigation" in the "various corrupt malpractices" of the minister.