The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned the former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for interrogation on Wednesday. Deshmukh is accused of corruption by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The development comes a day after the premier agency recorded the statements of Deshmukh’s personal assistant Sanjeev Palande and Secretary Kundan Shah at the Defence Research and Development Organisation guest house in Mumbai.
According to sources, Deshmukh will be questioned by SP-rank officers of CBI. Till now, the agency has recorded the statements of Param Bir Singh, suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze, ACP Sanjay Patil and complainant Jaishri Patil.
Besides, a team of CBI has also interrogated a bar owner Mahesh Shetty who visited the Crime Intelligence Unit office from 4-6:30 pm on March 3 where he allegedly saw Mansukh Hiren and convicted cop Vinayak Shinde.
Supreme Court dismisses Anil Deshmukh, Maha govt appeals seeking review of Bombay HC’s order allowing CBI enquiry
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court bench of Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals of Deshmukh and the Maharashtra government against the Bombay HC order directing a preliminary enquiry by the CBI.
“Given the serious nature of allegations, and the personas involved, the matter do requires an independent probe agency for investigation. It is a matter of public confidence,” the SC bench observed.
The Bombay High Court had ordered a CBI inquiry on the basis of a PIL filed by Dr Jaishri Patil. Terming the case as ‘extraordinary and unprecedented’, the Bombay High Court had also said that after the preliminary inquiry ordered by it, the CBI would be free to decide further course of action. Therefore, if the CBI does find evidence against Anil Deshmukh in the allegations levelled against him by Parambir Singh, an FIR would be registered in the case subsequently.
Anil Deshmukh under the scanner for corruption charges levelled by former top cop Param Bir Singh
A controversy erupted on February 20 when former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh levelled serious allegations of corruption against then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Singh alleged that Deshmukh had asked Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crores per month from bar and hotel establishments in Mumbai.
In a letter addressed to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deshmukh rubbished the allegations levelled against him, stating that the former Mumbai Police Commissioner was making the accusations because he was transferred from his position due to serious lapses in the Antilia bomb scare.