The Maharashtra Congress on Saturday questioned the reluctance of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to interrogate former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh in the Antilia bomb scare case.
The NIA arrested suspended police officer Sachin Vaze on March 13 in connection with the case. Mr. Vaze is also being probed for his alleged role in the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiren, who was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.
Talking to reporters, State Congress general secretary Sachin Sawant said, “When Param Bir Singh was commissioner, the digital video recorder (DVR) of the Mumbai Police Commissionerate disappeared from his office. Why is the NIA not investigating this? The NIA has not taken the statement of any of Sachin Vaze’s senior officials in the past 18 days.”
Mr. Sawant said the State Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) officially took the DVR for investigation on March 10. “Within two hours, Singh’s office felt it was a mistake. An official from the office called ATS chief Jaijeet Singh and said the DVR would be returned later as the visuals were poor. The DVR was taken into custody and since then it has disappeared,” he alleged.
Mr. Sawant claimed that the DVR had visuals of the explosive-laden Scorpio found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house on February 25 and the Innova that was tailing it. “It has also tracked the movements of Sachin Vaze and those in contact with him. The State government should investigate if Mr. Singh was behind the disappearance of the DVR, if the NIA is not doing so,” Mr. Sawant said.
‘BJP diverting attention’
The Congress leader pointed out that the BJP has now stopped demanding an inquiry against Mr. Singh. “The BJP brought up allegations of a transfer scam in the State Home Department as it wanted to divert attention from the Antilia bomb scare case and the Mansukh Hiren murder case,” he said.
