Cong asks if Param Bir Singh wrote letter accusing Anil Deshmukh of corruption 'under pressure'

MUMBAI:  Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh might have written the letter raising corruption allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh "out of some pressure", state minister and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat said on Monday.

In a video message, Thorat said Congress' Maharashtra in-charge HK Patil held discussions with party leaders in the state over the controversy and tried to understand their views.

"HK Patil spoke to us over the issue yesterday from Delhi. He tried to understand our views. He tried to understand the chronology," Thorat added.

Thorat said if any decision is to be taken in connection with this episode it will be taken after Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) constituents Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress hold discussions.

In his eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Singh on Saturday claimed Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly from bars and hotels.

Deshmukh had dismissed Singh's allegations as baseless.

"The matter is being probed properly. We have doubts about the motive behind Singh's letter. It is our view today that Singh might have written the letter out of some pressure," Thorat said.

To a question whether Deshmukh should step down following Singh's allegation, Thorat said it will be "wrong" if a minister is made to resign just because some official makes an allegation.

"It is important for us to know what was his (Singh's) motive, whether he was under any pressure," Thorat added.

In his letter, Singh had also claimed that Deshmukh wanted a case of abetment to suicide registered in Mumbai after the death of Dadra and Nagar Haveli MP Mohan Delkar in a city hotel last month.

Thorat wondered what was wrong in registering the FIR if the incident had taken place in Mumbai.