MUMBAI, Nov 3: The former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh whose allegations of corruption has led to the arrest of the former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh by the Enforcement Directorate, is claimed to have told a judicial inquiry commission that he had no more evidences against the former minister other than the letter he had written to the chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Singh, who is believed to be absconding, has submitted an affidavit to this effect before an inquiry commission probing his corruption allegations against Deshmukh, saying he does not have any further evidence to share in the matter. Singh’s lawyer on Wednesday confirmed that the senior IPS officer submitted the affidavit in a previous hearing of the commission.
In March this year, the Maharashtra government formed the one-member commission of retired Justice Kailash Uttamchand Chandiwal to probe Singh’s allegations against Deshmukh.
Despite the commission issuing multiple summons and a bailable warrant against Singh, he has not appeared before it so far. The commission had thrice imposed fines on Singh – of Rs 5,000 in June and Rs 25,000 each on two other occasions – for failing to appear before it.
On the latest development, special public prosecutor in the case, Shishir Hirey, appearing for the inquiry commission, said, “Param Bir Singh has refused to give any more evidence in the matter other than the letter that he had initially forwarded to the chief minister and the home minister.” He is also not ready for a cross-examination, Hirey said.
Last week, two non-bailable warrants were also issued against Singh in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane district in connection with different extortion cases registered at local police stations.
Days after he was shunted out as Mumbai police commissioner and transferred to the Home Guards in March this year, Singh had claimed in a letter to Thackeray that Deshmukh used to ask police officers to collect money from restaurant and bar owners in Mumbai.
Deshmukh resigned from the post of state home minister in April this year. The NCP leader has repeatedly denied the allegations against him. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are probing the allegations made against Deshmukh by Singh. Deshmukh was on Monday arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged extortion racket in the state police. He was on Tuesday remanded in the ED’s custody till November 6.
(Manas Dasgupta)
