Antilia bomb scare case: Ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh arrives at NIA office

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Wednesday arrived at the National Investigation Agency (NIA) office in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case.

The former top cop of Mumbai, Param Bir Singh, had levelled serious allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

This comes a day after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a preliminary inquiry in connection with the Bombay High Court order to probe allegations of corruption levelled against Deshmukh.

The Bombay High Court had directed the CBI to start a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into allegations.

Deshmukh, in his petition, said that the Bombay High Court believed that the entire state machinery was untrustworthy, that no investigation, could have been made within the state by a state investigating agency, by referring to it as an "independent investigating agency", knowing fully well that its credentials in the past are not such that the court can repose absolute faith in such an agency.

It is therefore a matter of concern that the entire state machinery had been jettisoned and the normal process of law bypassed, in the exercise of power under article 226 of the Indian Constitution, Deshmukh said in his petition.

In a plea earlier, Param Bir Singh repeated the graft allegations that he had made against Deshmukh in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, and also accused the Maharashtra Home Minister of interfering in police investigations and involving in severe "malpractices".

Singh had earlier written a letter to Thackeray alleging that Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month.

There were reports of Deshmukh's association with suspended Mumbai Police ASI Sachin Waze whose name came up in the Mansukh Hiran death case.

Sachin Waze, Assistant Police Inspector in the Crime Intelligence Unit (CIU) who was in charge of the Hiran case, was in NIA custody till April 7, for his alleged role and involvement in placing the explosives-laden vehicle outside the residence of Ambani.

Hiran, the owner of the vehicle that was found containing explosives materials outside the house of the Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani, was found dead on March 5 in Thane.

Investigation into his death was being probed by Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), till the MHA handed over the probe to the NIA.

(ANI)

Also Read: Extortion Case: CBI registers inquiry to probe corruption charges against Anil Deshmukh