Param Bir Singh moves SC against transfer, wants probe against Deshmukh

New Delhi, Mar 22: Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday moved Supreme Court against his transfer to Home Guard Department and sought a CBI probe into the allegations he made against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

Singh, a 1988 batch IPS officer also sought quashing of the order transferring him from the post of Mumbai CP alleging it to be "arbitrary" and "illegal".

"The Petitioner has invoked writ jurisdiction of this Court to seek unbiased, uninfluenced, impartial and fair investigation in the corrupt malpractices of Anil Deshmukh, the Home Minister of Government of Maharashtra, before the evidences are destroyed," he said in his plea.

Singh alleged, "Deshmukh had been holding meetings in February, 2021 at his residence with police officers including Sachin Vaze of Crime Intelligence Unit, Mumbai and Sanjay Patil, ACP Social Service Branch, Mumbai, bypassing their seniors and had instructed them that he had a target to accumulate Rs 100 crores every month and had directed to collect money from various establishments and other sources".

Singh said it is reliably learnt that on or about August 24-25, 2020, one Rashmi Shukla, the Commissioner Intelligence, State Intelligence Department, had brought to the notice of the Director General of Police, who in turn brought it to the knowledge of the Additional Chief Secretary Home Department, Government of Maharashtra about corrupt malpractices in postings / transfers by Deshmukh based on telephonic interception.

He sought directions from court to safeguard him from any further coercive steps apprehended in the retaliation for laying bare the corrupt malpractices of Deshmukh.

Singh on Monday took charge as the Director General (DG) of Maharashtra Home Guard.

Under flak for "mishandling" of the bomb scare outside Mukesh Ambani''s residence here, the Maharashtra government on March 17 transferred Singh from the post and appointed senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale, who was holding additional charge of Maharashtra DGP, as the new commissioner of Mumbai Police.

Days after he was shunted out, Singh wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had asked Sachin Waze, currently in custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and other police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly, including Rs 50 crore to Rs 60 crore from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Deshmukh had denied these allegations.

The NIA is probing Waze''s alleged role in placing an explosives-laden SUV outside Ambani''s residence on February 25.