The Bombay High Court has agreed to hear former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s plea seeking CBI probe into allegations against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The case will be heard on March 31.
The PIL seeks an "immediate, unbiased, uninfluenced impartial and fair investigation on the various corrupt malpractices of Anil Deshmukh before evidence is destroyed", as per a LiveLaw report.
Singh had earlier claimed that Deshmukh had asked police officers, including suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.
Singh also sought quashing of the order transferring him from the post of Mumbai CP calling it arbitrary and illegal.
Senior counsel Vikram Nankani, appearing for Singh, mentioned the petition before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice GS Kulkarni and sought an urgent hearing.
Chief Justice Datta asked Nankani about the prayers sought in the petition and if the PIL is maintainable. Nankani said the main prayer sought in the petition is for a CBI probe into the serious allegations levelled by a senior IPS officer against a state minister.
"We will satisfy the court with arguments on the maintainability of the petition," Nankani said.
The HC then posted the PIL for hearing on March 31.
Singh had initially approached the Supreme Court, alleging he was transferred from the post of Commissioner Police of Mumbai on March 17 and shunted to the Home Guards department after he complained to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders about the "corrupt malpractices" of Deshmukh.
The apex court had termed the matter as quite serious but asked Singh to approach the high court. Singh then filed the PIL in the HC.
