CBI Probe
Bombay HC orders preliminary CBI probe into former Mumbai top cop's allegations against Anil Deshmukh
Mumbai/IBNS: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out a preliminary probe into former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh's allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh within 15 days, media reports said.
In the previous hearing, the court had asked Singh why no First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the Home Minister.
"You are a police commissioner, why should the law be set aside for you? Are police officers, ministers and politicians all above the law? Are you saying that you are above the law?" Bombay HC Chief Justice CJ Dutta said as quoted by NDTV.
Singh, who was transferred to a low-key Home Guard in the aftermath of the investigation in connection with the Mukesh Ambani security scare case, accused Deshmukh of interference in police investigations and alleged that he asked police officers to conduct probes in the manner desired by him.
In his petition to the Supreme Court last month, Singh had said his transfer is a malicious move to suppress him as he was transferred immediately after he brought Deshmukh's corrupt practices to the notice of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders.
Singh was replaced at the insistence of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), one of the constituents of Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition. Deshmukh, who is a senior NCP leader, had justified Singh's removal citing 'unforgivable' lapses revealed in the investigation of the Ambani security scare case.
In his letter to Thackeray, Singh alleged that Deshmukh had a target to collect Rs 100 crore every month and used several police officers, including former head of Crime Intelligence Unit of the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police Sachin Vaze, for extorting money from restaurants, pubs, bars and hookah parlours in the city.
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