Maharashtra Police will take no action against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Supreme Court ordered today as it termed the corruption row involving the senior police officer and former state minister Anil Deshmukh a “messy state of affairs” and a “most unfortunate system”.
The Supreme Court said it will soon decide whether the probe into all cases against Mr Singh should be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Maharashtra government has said all the cases cannot be transferred to the central agency.
Mr Singh was replaced as Mumbai Police Commissioner following the bomb scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence. He was subsequently suspended amid allegations of corruption.
Following the actions against him, the senior police officer hit back with serious allegations against former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, accusing him of corruption and interfering with police work.
The senior police officer alleged that Mr Deshmukh had asked several of his officers to collect money from restaurants, pubs, bars, and hookah parlours, setting them a target of ₹ 100 crore every month.
Mr Deshmukh denied the allegations but resigned as state home minister amid the row.
Hearing the matter, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said, “We wish to say again. It’s a messy state of affairs. Nobody comes out washed with milk in this. It has the propensity to shake the confidence of the people in the state administration and police system, the most unfortunate system. But the process of law must go on.”
The CBI, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, submitted that the central agency must probe all the cases involving Mr Singh.
Maharashtra Police will take no action against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, the Supreme Court ordered today as it termed the corruption row involving the senior police officer and former state minister Anil Deshmukh a “messy state of affairs” and a “most unfortunate system”.
The Supreme Court said it will soon decide whether the probe into all cases against Mr Singh should be transferred to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The Maharashtra government has said all the cases cannot be transferred to the central agency.
Mr Singh was replaced as Mumbai Police Commissioner following the bomb scare outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence. He was subsequently suspended amid allegations of corruption.
Following the actions against him, the senior police officer hit back with serious allegations against former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh, accusing him of corruption and interfering with police work.
The senior police officer alleged that Mr Deshmukh had asked several of his officers to collect money from restaurants, pubs, bars, and hookah parlours, setting them a target of ₹ 100 crore every month.
Mr Deshmukh denied the allegations but resigned as state home minister amid the row.
Hearing the matter, Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said, “We wish to say again. It’s a messy state of affairs. Nobody comes out washed with milk in this. It has the propensity to shake the confidence of the people in the state administration and police system, most unfortunate system. But process of law must go on.”
The CBI, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, submitted that the central agency must probe all the cases involving Mr Singh.
