Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Sunday said the charges against senior NCP leader and Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh , made by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, are ‘serious’ and any decision regarding him will be taken by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
Mr. Pawar, however, questioned the timing of the allegations levelled by Mr Singh.
On Saturday, in an email letter to Chief Minister Thackeray, Mr. Singh had alleged that the Home Minister had asked police officers including the suspended officer, Sachin Vaze, to collect ₹100 crore every month from bars and hotels in the city.
Pointing out that the allegations were made after Mr. Singh was removed as police chief over the ‘lapses’ in the probe into the security threat outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence, Antilia, Mr. Pawar suggested an in-depth probe by former Mumbai top cop, Julio Ribeiro, whose “credibility is beyond questioning”.
Link to Vaze
He also claimed that Sachin Vaze, who remained suspended for over 16 years for his role in a custodial death case, was reinstated by Mr. Singh last year and neither the Chief Minister nor the State Home Minister was responsible for it.
“The allegations against the Maharashtra Home Minister are serious. Chief Minister has the full authority to take a decision regarding an inquiry on these allegations against the Home Minister,” Mr. Pawar said, adding, “I would suggest to Uddhav Thackeray to seek former IPS officer Julio Ribeiro’s help for looking into the claims made by Param Bir Singh.”
The NCP chief told reporters at his official residence in Delhi that Mr. Singh did meet him but it was only “when his transfer orders were about to be issued by the Maharashtra government”.
‘No threat to MVA govt.’
Asked if there was an attempt to destabilize the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, the NCP chief said, “I don't know whether efforts are being made or not to topple the [MVA] government. All I can say is they will have no impact on the government.”
The episode has led to tensions in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government as the Shiv Sena leadership is reported to be against Mr. Deshkmukh’s continuance as a minister.
Mr. Pawar is learnt to have convened a meeting of party leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and State NCP chief Jayant Patil to discuss the issue.
The NCP supremo also said the party must hear out Mr. Deshmukh, who has categorically denied all the allegations, before taking a final decision.
“There were allegations that he had directed the police to collect ₹100 crore. There is no information on actual transaction of money. No Information on any money being transferred to the Home Minister,” he pointed out.
The central leadership of the Congress party, the third partner in the MVA alliance, decided to adopt a ‘wait and watch approach’. Party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said the All India Congress Committee’s (AICC) Maharashtra in-charge, H.K, Patil, will speak on the issue soon.
PTI adds:
ATS makes two arrests
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested a policeman and a bookie in connection with the alleged murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said on Sunday, adding that Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze had played a key role in the crime and emerged as the prime accused.
The accused duo, identified as policeman Vinayak Shinde and bookie Naresh Gaur, were arrested on Saturday late night, he said.
Earlier in the day, the official had given the name of the bookie as Naresh Dhare, but later said it was Naresh Gaur.
Shinde is a convict in the 2006 Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case and he came out from jail on furlough last year, he said, adding that Shinde had been in touch with Waze since then.
Ribeiro unavailable
Former IPS officer Julio Ribeiro on Sunday rejected NCP chief Sharad Pawar's suggestion that he probe ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh's claim that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh asked suspended police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.
"I am not available. Nobody (in State government) has contacted me. And in any case even if they contact me, I am unavailable," Ribeiro said when asked about Mr. Pawar's suggestion.
"I am 92 years old. Nobody goes around doing this work at the age of 92, " Mr. Ribeiro said.
Ribeiro is a former Mumbai Police Commissioner, who eventually became the chief of Gujarat and Punjab police and was later named India's Ambassador to Romania.
"Why should a retired police officer be asked to do this," he said.
NCP meeting underway
A meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party's top brass is underway in New Delhi against the backdrop of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh levelling allegations of corruption against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, senior leaders Supriya Sule and Praful Patel, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, NCP Maharashtra chief and Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil are part of the meeting, besides others.
