New Delhi: Justice B.R. Gavai of the Supreme Court recused himself from hearing a plea filed by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh seeking transfer of all inquiries against him to an independent agency outside Maharashtra.
The matter was heard before a vacation bench of Justice Vineet Saran and Justice Gavai. Justice Gavai claimed to have difficulty in taking up the matter, and Justice Saran said to place it before another bench.
“I can’t hear this matter,” said Justice Gavai. The bench asked for the case to be listed before another bench where none of them were a party.
Senior advocate Puneet Bali, appearing for Singh, deemed the inquiries against the former Commissioner to be a “complete witch-hunt”. He said that they are in “complete transgression” of the orders passed by the apex court as well as the Bombay high court.
Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer, was removed from his post on March 17. He was made the General Commander of Maharashtra State Home Guard after allegations of corruption and misconduct against then Home Minister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh.
(PTI)