Bombay High Court orders preliminary CBI probe in Param Bir Singh's plea against Maharashtra home minister

Former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh with Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The Bombay High Court on Monday ordered the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out a preliminary probe within 15 days into former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh's allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni has asked the CBI to complete its 'preliminary probe' within 15 days on the issues raised by Singh in his 'letter-bomb' last month.

Param Bir Singh's plea alleged that 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, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.

The public interest litigation also alleged corruption in police transfers and postings and political interference in probes.

However, the court said that the CBI need not register a First Information Report (FIR) immediately as the Maharashtra government has already set up a 'high-level committee' to probe the matter.

"The Government Resolution by the state government for a high-level committee leads us to believe that there is no interference required," said Chief Justice Datta.

Terming the matter as 'extraordinary and unprecedented', the bench observed that Deshmukh is the Home Minister who leads the state police force and hence there should be an independent probe.

The court has asked the CBI to make its preliminary investigations in accordance with the law within 15 days and after that, the agency may use its discretion to decide the future course.

Besides Singh's PIL, the court heard three other pleas filed by Ghanshyam Upadhyay seeking a court-monitored SIT, another by Mohan Bhide wanting a retired HC or SC judge to probe and a third by Jayshri Patil for a CBI or any other independent agency probe.

On March 31, the court had reserved its order on the issue of maintainability of the PIL (whether it should be taken up for final hearing or dismissed at the preliminary stage).

The Maharashtra government's lawyer had 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.

In the previous hearing, the HC had asked Singh why no FIR was filed on his allegations against the Maharashtra Home Minister.

Shortly after the High Court verdict, the Bharatiya Janata Party Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis demanded Deshmukh's resignation to ensure an independent probe, and questioned the silence of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other MVA leaders in the matter.

(With inputs from agency)