Param Bir Singh challenges transfer in SC, seeks CBI probe against minister

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday (March 22) took his fight with Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh to the Supreme Court (SC), seeking quashing of the state government’s “arbitrary and illegal” order transferring him to the Home Guard Department.

Singh also sought a CBI inquiry into alleged corrupt malpractices of state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The Uddhav Thackeray government relieved Param Bir Singh of his responsibilities as Mumbai police chief on March 17, citing “serious lapses” in handling of the bomb scare incident outside Mukesh Ambani’s house. IPS Hemant Nagrale replaced Singh. The transfer was claimed to be under administrative exigencies.

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Two days after his transfer, Param Bir Singh wrote a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, accusing state Home Minister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh of indulging in “malpractices” and pressurizing inspector Sachin Waze for collecting Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. “The Hon’ble Home Minister expressed to Waze that he had a target to accumulate Rs 100 crore a month. For achieving the aforesaid target, the Home Minister told Waze that there are about 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai and if a sum of Rs 2-3 lakh each was collected from each of them, a monthly collection of Rs 40-50 crore was achievable. The Home Minister added that the rest of the collection could be made from other sources,” Singh wrote in a letter addressed to the CM.

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Singh further claimed that Deshmukh had invited Sachin Vaze for a meeting at his residence in relation to the collection of funds for himself.

On February 25, a Scorpio SUV was found parked near Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ with gelatin sticks and a threat letter. Hiran was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5. His family alleged that Waze had a role in his death. Waze was arrested by the NIA on March 13.