The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) registered a preliminary inquiry on Tuesday to probe corruption allegations against Maharashtra’s ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh levelled by former Commission of Police, Mumbai, Parambir Singh. CBI spokesperson RC Joshi has said, “CBI has registered a PE in the respect of the Bombay High Court order dated April 5, 2021.”
Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) to probe allegations of corruption levied against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh: CBI Spokesperson
— ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2021
Bombay High Court had directed CBI to start PE within 15 days into allegations pic.twitter.com/yiFhBQy6Jk
A CBI team of six from Delhi is in Mumbai to record the statements and collect all the relevant documents against Deshmukh on the allegations made by Parambir Singh after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI inquiry basis a PIL filed by Dr Jaishri Patil. The central probe agency team is set to record the statements of not only Parambir Singh but also other officers mentioned by him during its preliminary inquiry.
Terming the case as ‘extraordinary and unprecedented, the Bombay High Court had also said that after the preliminary inquiry ordered by it, the CBI would be free to decide further course of action. Therefore, if the CBI does find evidence against Anil Deshmukh in the allegations levelled against him by Parambir Singh, an FIR would be registered in the case subsequently. However, only a day after the inquiry was ordered by the Bombay High Court, the Maharashtra government and Anil Deskhmukh had separately moved the Supreme Court against the order by High Court.
It is pertinent to note that Anil Deshmukh, against whom CBI has now initiated an inquiry, had resigned earlier in the week after Bombay High Court had ordered the inquiry.
Parambir Singh’s corruption allegations against Anil Deshmukh
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh had written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that the state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had asked controversial cop Sachin Vaze to collect Rs. 100 crore every month from bars, restaurants and other establishments.
The letter by Parambir Singh had raised several questions regarding the Antilia bomb scare case and the death of Mansukh Hiren. Sachin Vaze is currently under arrest for his involvement in the matter. The Ministry of Home Affairs had earlier transferred the Mansukh Hiren death case to the NIA. Parambir Singh was then transferred and posted as DG Home Guard after the explosive revelations.
