News Analysis India

Tag: Mumbai Police

  • Ambani bomb scare case: Suspended cop Sachin Waze taken to Mumbai hospital for check-up

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency on Thursday took suspended police officer Sachin Waze to the government-run J J Hospital here for a medical check-up, an official said.

    Waze (49) was arrested last month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    The NIA took him to the hospital around Thursday noon, the official said.

    Hospital sources later said Waze was examined and then sent back.

    “Report given to authorities concerned,” a source said.

    This was second time that Waze was taken for the medical-check up to the J J Hospital since his arrest.

    Waze in a letter on Wednesday claimed former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had demanded Rs 2 crore from him to continue his service in the Mumbai police and another minister Anil Parab asked him to collect money from some contractors in Mumbai.

    Parab, a Shiv Sena leader, has rubbished Waze’s claim.

    Deshmukh, a senior NCP leader, resigned as home minister on Monday after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into corruption allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

    The special NIA court here on Wednesday allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to question Waze in connection with its preliminary enquiry (PE) into the allegations of corruption against Deshmukh.

  • ‘Dirty politics on to destabilise Maharashtra government’: Raut reacts on Sachin Waze’s letter

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Thursday claimed “dirty politics” was being played out to destabilise the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra and asserted that such attempts will not succeed.

    Raut’s remarks came a day after suspended cop Sachin Waze in a letter claimed former state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had demanded Rs 2 crore from him to continue his service in the Mumbai police and another minister Anil Parab asked him to collect money from contractors.

    Waze was arrested last month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.

    Parab, a Shiv Sena leader, rejected Waze’s claims on Wednesday and said he was ready to face any probe into the allegations.

    He swore in the name of Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray and asserted that he has not done anything wrong.

    Talking to reporters here on Thursday, Raut said there is a new trend of getting letters written from the accused locked up in jail.

    “Never before has the country seen dirty politics being played out in such a manner, like indulging in character assassination using investigation agencies and IT cells of political parties, and letters from accused locked up in jail,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

    Raut said attempts to weaken and destabilise the MVA government “will not be successful”.

    “I know Anil Parab. He is a staunch Shiv Sainik and will never swear wrongly in the name of Balasaheb Thackeray,” Raut said.

    The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress share power in Maharashtra.

  • ‘Only upright officers should head the force’: Julio Ribeiro on Param Bir fiasco

    Express News Service
    MUMBAI: Honesty and uprightness should be the criteria for anyone to be considered for appointment to the top post in the police department and not closeness to the political masters, former Mumbai police commissioner Julio Ribeiro (right) said.

    “People should really have the pressure over such thing, then only upright officers will be promoted and the black sheep will be exposed,” he said.

    Ribeiro said the CBI should probe the role of the police officers as well in the case involving Anil Deshmukh.

    “Some police officers are not blameless. They are equally responsible for the mess in the system. Otherwise, the CBI only targets Deshmukh for political mileage. It should not happen else this probe will not have any value.” 

    Meeran Borwankar, who retired as DG of BPRD and NCRB, said money is paid sometimes to police and politicians as well as both for getting posting of choice.

    “Occasionally and mostly during crisis periods, appointments are made on merit or honest officers are given important posts as a ‘window dressing’ exercise. This system has been adopted by all political parties.” 

    A sustained interest by citizens in administration and in the criminal justice system helps to remove the rot in the system, she said.

    “I would like all of us to acknowledge that this kind of money collection is across departments and by all political parties. … We must encourage and increase the critical mass of honest officers who can develop a strong voice instead of the forced silence they have resigned to as their fate today,” she said.

  • Param Bir vs Anil Deshmukh: Setback for Maharashtra Home Minister as HC asks CBI to probe former Mumbai top cop’s allegations

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

    A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni said this was an “extraordinary” and “unprecedented” case that warranted an independent inquiry.

    The court said since the state government had already ordered for a probe by a high-level committee into the matter, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) need not immediately register an FIR in the case.

    It said the CBI must complete the preliminary inquiry within 15 days and then take a decision on further course of action in the case.

    The bench delivered its verdict on a bunch of public interest litigations (PILs) and writ petitions seeking several reliefs and a CBI probe into the matter.

    The pleas had been filed by Singh himself, city-based lawyers Jayshree Patil and Ghanshyam Upadhyay, and local teacher Mohan Bhide.

    The HC disposed of all the pleas on Monday.

    “The CBI’s director is allowed to conduct a preliminary inquiry. Such preliminary inquiry be ordered in accordance with the law and be concluded within 15 days. Once the preliminary inquiry is complete, director CBI (will) be at discretion to (decide on) further course of action,” the high court said.

    The HC had last Wednesday reserved its verdict on the pleas following a day-long hearing.

    “We agree that this is an unprecedented case before the court. Deshmukh is Home Minister who leads the police. There has to be an independent inquiry. But, the CBI need not register an FIR immediately,” the court said on Monday.

    On March 25, Singh filed a criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh who, he claimed, had asked police officers, including suspended cop Sachin Waze, to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.

    The remaining PILs were filed around the same time.

    The minister has denied any wrongdoing.

    Singh’s counsel Vikram Nankani had argued that the entire police force was demoralised and was working under pressure due to the interference of politicians.

    The HC had then asked why Singh did not lodge an FIR against Deshmukh, if he was aware of the alleged wrongdoing committed by the minister.

    Patil, one of the other petitioners, had told the HC that she lodged a complaint against both Deshmukh and Singh at a local police station.

    Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, who appeared for the state government, had urged the HC to dismiss the pleas.

    Singh had initially approached the Supreme Court, alleging he was transferred from the post of Mumbai police commissioner after he complained to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders about the “corrupt malpractices” of Deshmukh.

    The apex court had termed the matter as quite serious, but asked Singh to approach the high court.

    Singh then filed the PIL in the HC, reiterating his allegations against Deshmukh and seeking an “immediate, unbiased, impartial” probe by the CBI against Deshmukh, who is an NCP leader.

    The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress share power in Maharashtra.

  • Why you didn’t approach police against Anil Deshmukh? Bombay HC asks Param Bir Singh

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday asked former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh why he did not lodge a police complaint against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh if he was aware of an alleged wrongdoing being committed by the minister.

    Singh recently claimed Deshmukh asked police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.

    The minister has denied any wrongdoing.

    A division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni asked Singh why he did not lodge a complaint with the police first, and said without an FIR the HC cannot intervene or direct for an independent agency like the CBI to carry out an investigation.

    ​ALSO READ | Retired HC judge to probe Param Bir’s Rs 100 crore extortion charges against Anil Deshmukh

    “You (Singh) are a senior police officer. You are not a layman. You were duty-bound to register a complaint against any wrongdoing. Despite knowing that an offence is being committed by your boss, you (Singh) remained silent,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    The HC was hearing a criminal public interest litigation (PIL) filed in the HC on March 25 by Singh, seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh.

    The bench further noted that Singh cannot convert the HC into a magistrate court.

    “The proper and appropriate course of action would be for you (Singh) to first lodge a complaint with police. If the police do not lodge an FIR, then you have the option of filing an application before the magistrate,” the court said.

    Singh’s counsel Vikram Nankani said his client wanted to avoid this “chakravyuh” (labyrinth).

    ​ALSO READ | Sachin Waze procured explosives found in SUV near Ambani’s house: NIA

    The HC, however, noted this was the procedure laid down in law.

    “Are you saying that you are above the law?” Chief Justice Datta asked.

    Nankani argued that he did not have any other option than to approach the HC, as the complaint and allegations were against the “very head of the state administration”.

    The court further asked Nankani if any statement, as alleged by Singh in the petition against Deshmukh that he had asked police officers to extort money, was made by the Home minister in Singh’s presence.

    “Was any of these statements made by the Home Minister in Singh’s presence? Otherwise this is nothing but hearsay,” the court said.

    The HC further said there is also no affidavit submitted by any of the police officers who were allegedly called by Deshmukh to his residence, supporting the allegations levelled by Singh.

    The bench said without an FIR it cannot pass an order directing an independent agency to investigate the matter.

    “Our prima facie opinion is that without an FIR, this court cannot order investigation. Your prayer seeking a direction to the CBI to investigate appears to be harsh in the absence of an FIR,” Chief Justice Datta said.

    ALSO READ | Ex-HC judge to probe allegations against me: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

    The court further asked if a PIL is maintainable when the issue pertains to a service matter.

    Advocate General Ashutosh Kumbhakoni, appearing for the Maharashtra government, sought dismissal of the petition with an exemplary cost and claimed the plea was filed with personal vendetta.

    “The PIL is not filed in public interest, but is riddled with personal grievances and interests. The petitioner has come to this court with dirty hands and dirty mind,” Kumbhakoni said.

    Singh in his petition claimed Deshmukh had asked police officers, including suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.

    Waze was arrested earlier this month by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the case of bomb scare near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai.

    The PIL filed by Singh also raised the issue of alleged corruption in police transfers and postings in the state.

    Singh was shifted from the post of Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police to the Home Guards department on March 17.

  • Param Bir Vs Anil Deshmukh: HC to hear former Mumbai top cop’s PIL Wednesday

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Tuesday said it would hear on Wednesday the PIL filed by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh seeking a CBI probe against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who he claimed asked police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.

    Singh filed the criminal Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the HC on March 25.

    He claimed Deshmukh had asked police officers, including suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Waze, who has been arrested by the NIA in the case of bomb scare near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.

    The PIL also raised the issue of alleged corruption in police transfers and postings in the state.

    ALSO READ | Ex-HC judge to probe allegations against me: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh

    On Tuesday, senior counsel Vikram Nankani, appearing for Singh, mentioned the petition before a division bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G S Kulkarni and sought urgent hearing.

    Chief Justice Datta asked Nankani about the prayers sought in the petition and if the PIL is maintainable.

    Nankani said the main prayer sought in the petition is for a CBI probe into the serious allegations levelled by a senior IPS officer against a state minister.

    “We will satisfy the court with arguments on the maintainability of the petition,” Nankani said.

    The HC then posted the PIL for hearing on Wednesday.

    Singh had initially approached the Supreme Court, alleging he was transferred from the post of Commissioner Police of Mumbai on March 17 and shunted to the Home Guards department after he complained to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders about the “corrupt malpractices” of Deshmukh.

    The apex court had termed the matter as quite serious, but asked Singh to approach the high court.

    Singh then filed the PIL in the HC, reiterating his allegations against Deshmukh and seeking an “immediate, unbiased, impartial” probe by the CBI against Deshmukh, who is an NCP leader.

    ALSO READ | Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut demands Anil Deshmukh’s resignation as Maharashtra Home Minister

    In his PIL, Singh also accused Deshmukh of routinely interfering in police investigations and putting pressure on him to implicate BJP leaders in the case of suicide of Dadra and Nagar Haveli MP Mohan Delkar.

    Singh also sought a direction from the HC to the CBI to secure CCTV footage of Deshmukh’s residence from earlier this year before it was “destroyed”, and a direction to the state government to produce all records of communication received from IPS officer Rashmi Shukla in March 2020.

    In February last year, Shukla levelled allegations of malpractices in police postings and transfers against Deshmukh and also informed her superiors about it, but soon afterwards she was transferred, the PIL alleged.

    The court should pass directions to ensure that in future police officials are not transferred on account of “pecuniary benefits to any politician”, it said.

    Deshmukh has denied the allegations against him.

  • Ambani bomb scare: NIA suppressing evidence in Sachin Waze case, alleges Congress

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Congress on Saturday accused the National Investigation Agency (NIA) of suppressing evidence in the ongoing probe in the Sachin Waze case.

    Talking to reporters here, state Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said, “API Sachin Waze’s office was 200 feet away from the office of the then Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. He had direct access to Singh. However, the NIA is not probing Singh in the bomb scare case.”

    “NIA not carrying out inquiry against Waze’s seniors and Param Bir Singh gives rise to suspicion. The agency is deliberately suppressing some evidence,” he said.

    Waze (49) was arrested on March 13 by the NIA in connection with the probe into the explosives-laden SUV found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house on February 25.

    Waze is also being probed for his alleged role in the murder of Thane-based businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was found dead in a creek in Thane on March 5.

  • ‘Extremely disturbed by slanderous campaign against me’: Anil Deshmukh on Param Bir letter

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday said he was “extremely disturbed” by the campaign of slander against him and wanted to set the record straight about his hospitalization last month.

    Deshmukh is under fire after former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh alleged that the minister had summoned police officer Sachin Waze around mid-February and asked him to help with `collection’ of money from hotels and bars in Mumbai.

    The minister, who has denied the allegations, met chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday evening.

    “I am extremely disturbed by the slander in various forms of media aimed at maligning my and my department’s image,” Deshmukh said in a video message.

    “I was hospitalized after contracting the COVID-19 and got admitted to a hospital on February 5. I was there till February 15. I was discharged and flew back to Mumbai and remained in home quarantine,” he said.

    “I conducted some video conferences with officials and party meetings. I started my preparations for the Budget session. Many officials were visiting my official residence for briefing required before the budget session,” he said.

    Considering how people were being “misled”, he found it important “to set the record straight about my health and its chronology,” said the home minister.

  • Param Bir Singh an important weapon of for opposition now: Sanjay Raut

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday said former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh, whose allegation of corruption against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has triggered a crisis in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, is the “most important weapon” for the opposition right now.

    As the demand for Deshmukh’s resignation grew louder, Raut said if the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) feels that there is no evidence against him then what is wrong with it.

    “If the government is ready to take up the challenge for a probe then what is the problem,” he posed.

    Deshmukh belongs to the NCP.

    The NCP has strongly backed Deshmukh and ruled out any possibility of his sacking.

    Raut said Singh’s letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray cannot be proof against Deshmukh.

    He expressed confidence that the Mahavikas Aghadi government will complete its full term and stressed there was no difference among the alliance partners, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress.

    “Param Bir Singh is an important weapon of the opposition now. Until yesterday, the opposition did not have any trust in him. Look at the opposition statements against him on the Sushant Singh Rajput and Kangana Ranaut cases. But he is a trusted officer for the opposition now.”

    “The opposition is trying lodge fireballs at the government. If the opposition wants to fire on the government using Param Bir Singh’s shoulders then it will boomerang,” he said.

    When asked about the demand from some quarters to impose President’s rule in the state, Raut said, “Instead, the Centre should be dismissed because this is an encroachment on the rights of the state through its agencies.”

    Singh, a senior IPS officer, who was transferred to the low-key Home Guards on March 17 following the arrest of police officer Sachin Waze in the case related to the bomb scare near Mukesh Ambani’s house Antilia, in a letter to the Maharashtra chief minister said he was made a scapegoat.

    In the eight-page letter to Chief Minister Thackeray, Singh alleged that Deshmukh used to call police officers to his official residence and give them a “collection target” from bars, restaurants and other establishments.

    On Monday, he moved to the Supreme Court seeking a CBI probe into his charges.

    In Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena member Vinayak Raut strongly defended the MVA government and claimed that the BJP has been hatching a conspiracy to defame the Shiv Sena-Congress-NCP dispensation for the last 14 months so that a BJP government can be installed there.

    “The issue is nothing but a part of BJP’s big conspiracy,” Vinakay Raut claimed.

    He also dubbed Singh as the “most corrupt police officer”.

    The Maharashtra government on March 17 transferred Singh and appointed senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale as the new commissioner of Mumbai Police.

  • Mansukh Hiran murder: ATS takes accused to crime spot, detains man in Gujarat

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday took an acused arrested in the Mansukh Hiran murder case to the creek where his body was found, and also detained a person from Gujarat who had provided them SIM cards, officials said.

    The ATS last week arrested suspended policeman Vinayak Shinde and cricket bookie Naresh Gaur in the case.

    The SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s house here had been allegedly stolen from Hiran’s possession.

    According to the ATS, Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze, now suspended and in custody of the NIA, has emerged as the prime accused in the Hiran case.

    “Shinde was taken to Retibunder area near Mumbra creek where Hiran’s body was found (on March 5),” an ATS official said.

    “Also, our team traveled to Ahmedabad and detained a man from whom the accused had got SIM cards for use in the crime and also seized some of the cards,” he added.

    On Sunday, ATS DIG Shivdeep Lande had posted a message on Facebook stating that the Hiran murder case had been cracked.

    Shinde was convicted in the 2006 Lakhan Bhaiya fake encounter case and came out of jail on furlough last year.

    He was allegedly in touch with Waze, who himself was once known as `encounter specialist’ officer, since then.

    Apparently it was Shinde who had called Hiran from suburban Kandivali by identifying himself as “Tawde saheb” on March 4, the day before the Thane-based businessman’s body was found in the creek, the ATS official said.

    Waze is currently in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which is probing the recovery of the vehicle containing gelatin sticks and a threat letter which was found parked near Ambani’s multi-storey residence ‘Antilia’.

    The Union Home Ministry on Saturday handed over the Hiran murder case to the NIA, but the ATS officials, as of Monday, were still sharing details of their own probe.

    “Sachin Waze is a prime accused in the Hiran murder case. He had played a key role. During the probe, the ATS found that Gaur had provided five SIM cards to API Waze and Shinde for the crime. Shinde used to help Waze in his illegal activities,” an ATS official had said earlier, claiming that the arrest of Shinde and Gaur was a major breakthrough.