IT Correspondent
Mumbai, Mar 22:
Former Mumbai police commissioner Parambir Singh Singh who was last week transferred and posted as Director General of Police, Home Guards, in the midst of a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near Mukesh Ambani’s home, filed a petition challenging his transfer before the Supreme court on Monday.
Singh has demanded a fair probe by the CBI into the alleged malpractices by Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. He has alleged that Deshmukh abused his power to directly control investigations into various cases in a “particular manner that he desired” and interfered in postings and transfers of officers in the state.
As he had claimed in his letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on March 20,2021, Singh reiterated his allegation that Deshmukh had pressurised several officers to extort money from bars and pubs in Mumbai and other sources and demanded that a fair and unbiased probe must be conducted before “evidence is destroyed.”
Highlights of the Petition
Singh in the petition claimed that he had brought the alleged corrupt practices of Deshmukh in the knowledge of the senior leaders including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, following which he was transferred on March 17 to the Home Guard department. He alleged that his transfer is “smeared with malice when there is no iota of material or evidence against him and is solely based on conjectures and surmises”
Singh in the petition alleged that the then the Commissioner Intelligence Rashmi Shukla, in August 2020 had brought to the notice of the Director-General of Police the alleged corrupt malpractices in postings and transfers by Deshmukh based on telephonic interceptions. “She was shunted out rather than taking any firm action against said Deshmukh, who in turn brought the matter to the notice of the Additional Chief Secretary Home Department,” Singh alleged.
He mentioned in the petition that Deshmukh abused the official position to call and directly instruct the police officers of lower rank such as Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze (arrested by NIA in connection with Ambani bomb scare case) ”for his malicious intent of extorting money from establishments across Mumbai and from other sources.
Singh in an e mail sent to the chief minister had narrated certain meetings Deshmukh held with police officers, close to him, about Rs 100 crore per month to be collected from bars, restaurants and Hukka parlours.
However CMO termed Singh’s letter to the CM as misleading. Deshmukh said that even the dates of the meetings were wrong since he was in hospital from February 05 to February 15, 2021 and was home quarantine from February 15 to February 27, 2021.
In a statement Deshmukh said that a show cause notice will be sent to Singh and he will be placed under suspension as per provisions of Rule 3 of All India Service (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969.
Similarly CP Chief Sharad Pawar on Sunday said that the allegations levelled by Singh are vague and there is no question of Deshmukh resigning, in the light of the allegations. However the Congress, a constituent of ruling Mahavikas Aghadi Government, is expected to meet Chief Minister demanding Deshmukh’s resignation.
