A day after Parambir Singh, IPS, the former Maharashtra police chief writing a letter levelling charges on Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Deshmukh has written a counter letter levelling charges back at Param Bir Singh and threatened to file a defamation case against him.
“Why was Parambir Singh was sitting quietly for so many days after Sachin Waze was arrested?,” asks Deshmukh in his letter.
Anil Deshmukh writes that it was a part of a larger plot by Parambir Singh after he realised that he will be removed from the post of Commissioner of Police on 17 March. On 16 March, Parambir Singh chatted with ACP Shri Patil on WhatsApp chat and asked some questions and got the answers he expected. Parambir Singh wanted to collect evidence systematically. On 18th March Deshmukh had come up with some serious issues against Parambir Singh in the Lokmat. Parambur Singh tried to create proof of conversation on WhatsApp on March 19th.
Deshmukh had raised on Parambir Singh in Lokmat over serious lapses committed by the Police Commissioners office in the investigation of the Antilia incident. He also said that the serious lapses are not pardonable and Parambir Singh’s transfer is not on administrative grounds.
“Everyone in the police department knows that Sachin Vaze and ACP Sanjay Patil are very close to Param Bir Singh. Paramvir Singh decided to reinstate Vaze, who had been suspended for 16 years,” Writes Deshmukh
Over the issue of Deshmukh asking Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 Crore every month, Deshmukh writes “If Sachin Vaze says that he met Parambir Singh in February and told him all this, then why he did not say anything?. Why was he quite for so many days? Parambir Singh made such false allegations after realizing that we could get into trouble in an explosives case Has tried to blackmail the government. Parambir Singh wants to divert investigation into the explosives case and the suspicious death of Mansukh Hiren.”
In a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on 20th March, Parambir Singh accused Anil Deshmukh of malpractices. “At one of the briefing sessions in the wake of the Antilia incident held in mid-March 2021 when I was called late evening at Varsha to brief you, I had pointed out several misdeeds and malpractices being indulged into by the Hon’ble Home Minister. I have similarly briefed the Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister, Maharsahtra, the President of the Nationalist Congress Party, Shri Sharad Pawar and other senior Ministers also about the misdeeds and malpractices. On my briefings, I noticed that some of the Ministers were already aware about some aspects mentioned by me to them.
“In the aforesaid context, Shri Sachin Vaze who was heading the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Crime Branch of the Mumbai Police was called by Shri Anil Deshmukh, Hon’ble Home Minister, Maharashtra to his official residence Dyaneshwar several times in last few months and repeatedly instructed to assist in collection of funds for the Hon’ble Home Minister. In and around mid-February and thereafter, the Hon’ble Home Minister had called Shri Vaze to his official residence. At that time, one or two staff members of the Hon’ble Home Minister including his Personal Secretary, Mr. Palande, were also present. The Hon’ble Home Minister expressed to Shri Vaze that he had a target to accumulate Rs. 100 crores a month. For achieving the aforesaid target, the Hon’ble Home Minsiter told Shri Vaze that there are about 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai and if a sum of Rs. 2-3 lakhs each was collected from each of them, a monthly collection of Rs. 40-50 crores was achievable. The Hon’ble Home Minister added that the rest of the collection could be made from other sources.
“Shri Vaze came to my office the same day and informed me of the above. I was shocked with the above discussion and was mulling over how to deal with the situation.
A few days later, Shri Sanjay Patil, ACP, Social Service Branch, was called by the Hon’ble Home Minister at his official residence to hold discussions about the hookah parlours in Mumbai. The meeting was attended by other officers and Shri Palande, Personal Secretary to the Hon’ble Home Minister. Two days later, Shri Patil along with DCP Bhujbal were called at the official residence of the Hon’ble Home Minister for a meeting. While ACP Patil and DCP Bhujbal were made to wait outside the Hon’ble Home Minister’s cabin, Mr. Palande went inside the chamber of the Hon’ble Home Minister and after coming out took ACP Patil and DCP Bhujbal on the side. Mr. Palande informed ACP Patil that the Hon’ble Home Minister was targeting a collection of Rs. 40-50 crores which was possible through an approximate 1,750 bars, restaurants and establishments operating in Mumbai. I was informed by ACP Patil about the demand to make collections for the Hon’ble Home Minister.”
Parambir Singh also accused Anil Deshmukh of meddling in police cases. “11.The Hon’ble Home Minister has as a regular practice been repeatedly calling my officers and giving them instructions in respect of the course to be followed by them in performance of their official duties. The Hon’ble Home Minister has been calling my officers at his official residence bypassing me and other superior officers of the Police Department to whom those respective Police Officers report to. The Hon’ble Home Minster has been instructing them to carry out official assignments and collection schemes including financial transactions as per his instructions based on his expectations and targets to collect money. These corrupt malpractices have been brought to my notice by my officers.
“In the present context, I may add that late Shri Mohan Delkar, Member of Parliament, Dadra & Nagar Haveli was found dead at Hotel Sea Green on 22nd February 2021. The Marine Drive Police Station recorded ADR No. 5/ 21 in relation to the suicide. A suicide note was found in the course of investigation. The said suicide note blamed senior officials of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and the trouble inflicted by them on Shri Delkar being the cause of suicide. An appropriate investigation was being undertaken by the Marine Drive Police Department in the said ADR.
“However, from day one, the Hon’ble Home Minister desired a case of abetment of suicide to be registered at Mumbai. My professional view after seeking appropriate legal advice was that while the suicide had occurred in Mumbai, all the alleged acts of abetment had taken place in Dadra & Nagar Haveli. Thus, the abetment of suicide, if any, was required to be investigated by the Police at Dadra & Nagar Haveli who would have jurisdiction in that regard. You will recollect that in a briefing held at Varsha soon after the incident in the presence of a Hon’ble Minister and several other officials, after I drew attention of all concerned about my view, there was general agreement that the alleged acts of abetment could only be investigated by the Police at Dadra & Nagar Haveli,” he wrote.
“It has been my experience during the last more than one year as Commissioner of Police, Mumbai that the Hon’ble Home Minister has on numerous occasions called several officers from the Mumbai Police to his official residence at Dyaneshwar for giving instructions to adopt a specific course of action in police investigations. These acts of political interference are illegal & unconstitutional and Courts in our country including the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India have in the past come down heavily on such acts of interference in police investigations. In the event of my expressing reservations against the interference from the Hon’ble Home Minister and resistance from me in that regard, the Hon’ble Home Minister has found my reservations and resistance undesirable,” adds Parambir Singh.