Maharashtra govt appoints retired judge to probe allegations against home minister Anil Deshmukh

Param Bir Singh has alleged that Deshmukh demanded Rs 100 crore per month from assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze

After days of deliberations, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government on Tuesday announced a "high-level inquiry committee" into the allegations levelled by ex-Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh against state’s home minister Anil Deshmukh.

Justice Kailash Chandiwal, a retired judge of the Bombay High Court, would be the one-man inquiry panel. The panel would submit its report in six months’ time.

Singh has alleged that Deshmukh demanded Rs 100 crore per month from assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze, who has been arrested by the National Investigation Agency in the twin cases involving planting of a Scorpio laden with 20-odd gelatin sticks and a threatening letter near India’s top businssman Mukesh Ambani's house in Mumbai and murder of SUV owner Mansukh Hiren, a Thane-based automobile spareparts show-room owner.

Read: Vaze was present at meeting where Hiren's murder was planned, NIA says

Singh was earlier transferred as commandant general of Home Guards.

The development comes ahead of the hearing of two petitions in the Bombay High Court.

Singh had moved the Supreme Court challenging his transfer and seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh. However, the apex court had asked him to move the Bombay High Court, which he did last week.

State’s seniormost IPS officer Sanjay Pandey too has moved the Bombay High Court saying that he was bypassed and junior officer Rajneesh Seth was made acting director general of police.