After going all out to defend Mumbai police’s tainted officer Sachin Vaze, a prime accused in the Antilia bomb scare case, Shiv Sena is doing whatever it takes to guard Mumbai’s former police commissioner Parambir Singh. Despite Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh openly admitting that Parambir Singh’s transfer was not a routine one, Shiv Sena in its editorial on Friday in Saamana, the party mouthpiece said his transfer does not mean he is guilty.
“The government has to do the rejig in police under certain specific circumstances. Parambir Singh was replaced in the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner, which doesn’t mean he is guilty. He took the command of the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner during very difficult times,” read the editorial, news agency ANI reported.
Interestingly, only yesterday, the state’s Maha Vikas Aghadi government, of which Shiv Sena is also an integral part, had said that ‘unforgivable lapses in probe’ of the Antilia bomb scare triggered Singh’s transfer. Anil Deshmukh while speaking to the media revealed that Parambir Singh was not transferred through a routine procedure and that the decision was taken by him in conjunction with Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray.
The editorial further defended Parambir Singh saying that a lobby in Delhi had grudges against him, following the unearthing of the TRP scam. “He is the one who opened up the TRP case file. A particular lobby was against Singh due to this reason only”, read the article in Shiv Sena mouthpiece.
Attacking the central government, the article said it has hurriedly involved the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in the Antila bomb scare probe to defame the state government. The editorial claimed that the real motive would be known soon.
Seeking justification of an NIA probe into the case, Sena asked what is the terror angle in this case. “NIA investigates matters related to terrorism. But despite not having any link to terrorism, the agency has been handed over the case. What is the matter? What probe did the NIA do in the Uri attack, the Pathankot attack, and the Pulwama attack? How many criminals have been arrested? This too is a mystery. But 20 gelatin sticks in Mumbai seems to prove to be a big challenge for NIA,” it wrote.
“Who is the political boss in the Mansukh Hiren case is their (BJP) question, but they should perhaps find out who is the political boss, because there is no political boss in such cases”, read the article launching a seething attack at the central government.
Shiv Sena defends Sachin Vaze
Prior to this, Shiv Sena had also come out in defence of Mumbai police’s tainted Mumbai police office Sachin Vaze. After the conclusion of the Budget Session of Maharashtra Legislature, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had said: “Sachin Vaze is not Osama Bin Laden. It is not right to target a person and hang him and then investigate.”
Moreover, in a searing article published on Monday, Shiv Sena mouthpiece claimed Mumbai Police was capable enough to crack the Antilia Bomb scare case but the NIA team, sent by the Centre, arrested Sachin Vaze and insulted the Mumbai Police force.
Shive Sena senior leader Sanjay Raut was earlier seen heaping praises for Vaze calling him a “very honest and capable officer”.
Raut’s statement cames at a time when Vaze, a former Shiv Sena leader himself, had allegedly named Shiv Sena leaders in the gelatin case. Vaze had reportedly said that he was just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ and policemen and Shiv Sena leaders had a bigger role.
Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh transferred amidst shocking revelations in the Antilia bomb scare
For the uninitiated, on March 17, Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh had been transferred and posted as DG Home Guard. Singh is replaced by Hemant Nagrale, who will be the new Commissioner of Police in Mumbai.
The transfer comes in the midst of an ongoing investigation in the Antilia bomb scare in which the role of Mumbai Police Sachin Vaze has come under the scrutiny of investigative agencies. Vaze was recently arrested by the NIA in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case. It was also reported that Vaze had sought the CCTV footage of his own society, presumably with the purpose of destroying the evidence. It was also revealed that the explosives-laden Scorpio car found outside the Ambani residence was never stolen and was used by Vaze.
Yesterday, in another sensational disclosure, it came to fore that the vehicles—Scorpio and Innova—were driven by drivers who were employed with the police force. Subsequently, Vaze got a Mercedes with a fake number plate inside the Mumbai Commissionerate precinct without getting its details registered at the entrance was also revealed.
It is pertinent to note that it was the Parambir-headed review committee that reinstated Sachin Vaze after 16 years despite a court order against the controversial cop.
