BJP, Sena accuse each other of aiding Param Bir Singh to leave India

Maharashtra government may have helped Param Bir Singh to escape, says BJP leader; Sanjay Raut claims Mr. Singh left India with Centre's help

Ashish Shelar. File Photo

Hours after former Maharashtra Minister and BJP leader Ashish Shelar on Tuesday claimed the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government may have helped IPS officer Param Bir Singh to flee and could be “preparing ground for him to seek political asylum” in a western country, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut claimed that Mr. Singh has not absconded but made to move out of the country, which he could not have done without the Centre's help.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Mr. Raut also said former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh was arrested by a central agency based on Mr. Singh's allegations, and this was "very unfortunate and unethical".

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Mr. Deshmukh's party NCP shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra.

Param Bir Singh is facing investigation in a number of matters, including some extortion cases registered by the Maharashtra Police. Recently, two non-bailable warrants were issued against him in different extortion cases in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane.

Mr. Singh was shunted out from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March this year in the aftermath of the recovery of an SUV with explosives near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in south Mumbai and the

arrest of dismissed police officer Sachin Waze in the case.

Mr. Singh later accused the then State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption.

The Maharashtra government recently told the Bombay High Court that it did not know of Param Bir Singh's whereabouts .

On Tuesday, Mr. Raut said, “when a person serving on a post equivalent to the Director General of Police moves out of the country, he cannot do so without the support of the Union government. He has not absconded, but made to move out of the country." “Based on his (Param Bir Singh's) allegations, the central agencies have arrested former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. It is very unfortunate as his arrest is unethical,” he said.

Mr. Raut said on the basis of allegations, an investigation can be carried out, but Mr. Deshmukh was arrested on the first day of inquiry by officials of the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

"I think it is a pre-planned strategy to harass, defame and indulge in mud-slinging of key leaders of the MVA government (in Maharashtra),” the Rajya Sabha member said.

Mr. Deshmukh was arrested by the ED late Monday night after over 12 hours of questioning in the money laundering case linked to an alleged extortion racket in the State police establishment.

MVA government may have helped Param Bir Singh flee: BJP leader

Notably, former Maharashtra Minister Ashish Shelar on Tuesday claimed that the MVA government may have helped Param Bir Singh to flee and could be "preparing ground for him to seek political asylum" in a western country.

Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Mr. Shelar, the BJP MLA from Mumbai, also claimed that the MVA government, comprising the Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress, was obstructing the Centre’s strong actions to tackle the drug menace in the country.

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Mr. Shelar said, “The way the number of cases are being filed against Param Bir Singh, it seems to be a strategy for preparing grounds for the IPS officer to seek political asylum in a particular western country. If you speak against the government, you are eligible for such asylum.” “The Maha Vikas Aghadi could be helping Singh to take political asylum in a western country by lodging several complaints against him,” he said.

The idea would be to allow Mr. Singh to point at these complaints to seek political asylum by claiming that his life is in danger because he spoke against the ruling dispensation, the BJP leader claimed.

“The MVA government must have helped Singh to go missing, because if he gets caught, he may reveal some work done for leaders of the ruling parties,” Mr. Shelar alleged.

The real question is that since Param Bir Singh has all his documents, including the Aadhaar card, registered in Mumbai, how did he go missing from under the MVA’s nose? he said.

Mr. Shelar also claimed the MVA government was obstructing the Centre’s strong actions to tackle the drug menace in the country.

The remarks came in the wake of Maharashtra Minister and the NCP leader Nawab Malik seeking to link the opposition BJP in the State with an alleged drugs leader by tweeting the latter’s photograph with former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ wife Amruta Fadnavis.