Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. (File) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh on April 14, in connection with its probe into corruption allegations levelled by former Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh, said CBI officials familiar with the case.
Last week, the Bombay High Court directed the CBI to carry out a preliminary enquiry into the allegations against Deshmukh. The court asked the CBI to complete the probe within 15 days, after which it said the CBI director was at liberty to take further course of action.
On March 20, Param Bir Singh in an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleged that Deshmukh had asked the now-suspended and arrested Assistant Police Inspector (API) Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month, including Rs 40-50 crore from 1,750 bars and restaurants in Mumbai. Waze is being investigated by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his alleged role in the Ambani house bomb scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran.
Param Bir Singh subsequently filed a PIL seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh. Two other PILs and a criminal writ petition were also filed on the same matter, seeking a probe against both Deshmukh and Singh.
Deshmukh, who has denied the allegations, resigned from the cabinet on April 5 after the High Court order.
The CBI team has so far recorded statements of Param Bir Singh, currently posted as the Director General of state Home Guards, Waze, DCP Raju Bhujbal, ACP Sanjay Patil, Advocate Jayshree Patil, hotel owner Mahesh Shetty, and two personal staff of Deshmukh — Kundan Shinde and Sanjeev Palande.
Last week, Waze submitted a letter to the NIA Court, supporting the allegations made by Singh against Deshmukh and also levelling charges against Transport Minister Anil Parab of the Shiv Sena. The court, however, has not taken the letter on record and asked Waze’s lawyer to follow proper legal procedure.
The CBI, sources said, has received all relevant documents seized by the NIA from Waze and other co-accused in the case.
- The Indian Express website has been rated GREEN for its credibility and trustworthiness by Newsguard, a global service that rates news sources for their journalistic standards.
