Bombay HC orders CBI probe into corruption allegations over Anil Deshmukh

Mumbai, April 5: The Bombay high court on Monday ordered CBI to begin an investigation into the corruption allegations made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.

 

The court asked CBI to start a preliminary inquiry in accordance with law and asked the agency to complete the probe within 15 days. On March 25, Param Bir had filed criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh.

 

 

According to his plea, Deshmukh had asked police officers, including suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze who has been arrested in the case of bomb scare near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence here, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.

 

 

 

The plea also alleged corruption in police transfers and postings and political interference in probes. The court had reserved its order on March 31 on the issue of maintainability of the PIL filed by Param Bir's lawyer Jaishri Patil and Ghanshyam Upadhyay.

 

 

The Maharashtra government's lawyer argued that the petition was not maintainable as Singh had vested interests and the plea was a result of his transfer from the post of Mumbai police commissioner to the low-key Homes Guards.