JOIN US'For an impartial probe': SC transfers all cases against ex-Mumbai top cop to CBI
The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a CBI probe into all cases lodged against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh by the Maharashtra Police to "bring out the truth" following a "murky churning in battle royale" between him and then Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
In a letter to Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray after his transfer, Singh alleged Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked for suspended Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.
Deshmukh is currently in jail in cases lodged by the Enforcement Directorate and Singh faced a number of criminal cases, besides disciplinary action.
Acting on a plea by the 1988-batch IPS officer, a bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and M M Sundresh said the CBI must hold an impartial probe in all the aspects of the matter and examine whether the allegations in the FIRs have any truth or not.
The top court directed the Maharashtra Police to hand over the cases including five FIRs and two preliminary enquiries, to the CBI within a week and render all assistance to the central agency in its probe into the cases against Singh.
Calling the legal clash between Singh and Deshmukh a "battle royale", the bench said an impartial probe into the matter was required.
However, the court clarified that it is not revoking Singh's suspension. It also said, if there were any FIRs registered against Singh in future, then that will also be transferred to the CBI.
"We are not saying the appellant is a whistle-blower or anyone involved in this case is washed with milk," the bench said.
"The objective is to gain people's confidence into the police and this is not a reflection on Maharashtra Police. The troubling situation arising at the higher echelons has been presented before us," the bench added.
Senior advocate Darius Khambata, representing the Maharashtra government, vehemently argued that cases should not be transferred to the CBI, as it will be very demoralising for the state police.
During the hearing, the bench said, "The murky churning from battle royale between then Home Minister and the then Police Commissioner has given rise to these unfortunate proceedings."
Senior advocate Puneet Bali, appearing for Singh, submitted that CBI should probe all the cases registered against his client, and not the state police on which he does not have faith, even though he headed it once.
Singh had approached the top court against the Bombay High Court judgment passed on September 16, 2021, dismissing his plea challenging the two inquiries ordered by the Home Ministry for allegedly violating service rules and corruption charges, as non-maintainable.
The court had earlier on November 22, 2021, granted protection from arrest to Singh in the cases.
He alleged cases were lodged against him by "extortionists and bookies" who faced action by him in 2015, and 2016.
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