Param Bir Singh was transferred to the Home Guard this week.
Param Bir Singh, replaced as Mumbai Police Commissioner over “unforgivable” lapses in the Mukesh Ambani security scare probe, has hit back at Home Minister Anil Deshmukh in an explosive letter, accusing the Congress leader of corruption and interference in police work.
Mr Singh said the Maharashtra Home Minister had appointed several of his officers – including Sachin Waze who has been arrested in the Mukesh Ambani case – for running an extortion racket, collecting money from restaurants, pubs and bars. He said the Home Minister had set them a target of collecting Rs 100 crore every month.
The former police chief also said that the Home Minister had on several occasions instructed police officers on how to handle cases and file charges, producing copies of messages exchanged with subordinate officers and
“On a collective appraisal of events that have transpired and what is being pointed out by me makes it clear that I have been made a scapegoat to divert attention from the actual wrongdoers,” he said.
“In these circumstances, the assertions of the Hon’ble Home Minister to the effect that my transfer is not for administrative or routine reasons, I have conducted serious lapses and the serious lapses in the investigation committed by me are unpardonable are all statements contrary to the record and seem to be for extraneous and vindictive reasons,” Mr Singh said.
The stunning accusations prompted immediate calls by the opposition for Mr Deshmukh’s resignation who denied the claims.
“The former Commissioner of Police, Parambir Singh has made false allegations in order to save himself as the involvement of Sachin Waze in Mukesh Ambani & Mansukh Hiren’s case is becoming clearer from the investigation carried out so far & threads are leading to Mr. Singh as well,” he tweeted.
Former Chief Minister Devedra Fadnavis of the BJP said, “We demand Home Minister’s resignation. If he doesn’t, then Chief Minister must remove him. Impartial probe must be conducted..Letter also states that Chief Minister was intimated about this earlier so why didn’t he act on it?”
Param Bir Singh was transferred to Home Guard and Hemant Nagrale was appointed the new Mumbai police chief yesterday in a fallout of the investigations against police officer Sachin Waze arrested in the case of a car full of explosives found near the home of Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man. The investigation was taken over by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from the Mumbai Police after allegations emerged against Sachin Waze linked to the death of a man believed to be the owner of the explosives-filled SUV.
Here is the full text of the letter: