In another explosive development in the Antilia bomb scare case, prime accused Sachin Vaze has now written a letter to the NIA court, confirming the allegations of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh that home minister Anil Deshmukh had asked him to extort money from businesses. Additionally, he also alleged that Transport Minister Anil Parab too asked him to run an extortion racket.
Here is the full text of the available pages of the letter-
| In the Court of Hon. Designated Court Constituted under NIA Act 2008 at Mumbai in NIA Case No. RC1/2021/ NIA/MUM May it please Your Honour: That, I was placed under suspension since March 2004. That I was duly reinstated in service on 6th June 2020. That soon after my reinstatement there were certain attempts to reverse the reinstatement. Apparently then it was ordered by Hon Mr. Sharad Pawar to again place me under suspension. This was told to me by the Hon. Home Minister Mr. Anil Deshmukh over a phone from Nagpur. That, at that time Hon. HM sir also told me that he will convince Hon. Pawar Saheb and for that purpose he (Hon. HM Sir) asked me to pay ₹ 2 crore. I had expressed my inability to pay any such an amount. On this, the Hon. HM sir asked me to pay it in later course. That, I was came to be posted at the Criminal Intelligence Unit (CIU) of the DCB CID Mumbai. That, in the month of October 2020, I was called by the Hon. HM sir in Sahyadri Guest-… … scam case. There he reminded me of the ₹ 2 crores to be paid. I still expressed my inability to pay the same. That, in the month of November 2020 I was approached by one person viz. Mr. Darshan Ghodawat. The said Mr. Ghodawat introduced himself a very close circle person of Hon. Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Ajt Pawar. The said Mr. Chodawat explained me about illegal Gutkha & Tobacco trade within the jurisdiction of the State of Maharashtra and also gave me certain details such as phone numbers etc. That, the said that Mr. Ghodawat insisted that I should collect a monthly amount of ₹ 100 crores from these illegal Gutkha sellers. I had categorically denied to do any such illegal act. On my denying he (Mr. Ghodawat) warned me that I may either lose my post again. That, since the 1st day of 2021 I started all-out efforts against illegal Gutkha sellers within the jurisdiction of Mumbai. Crores of worth rupees illegal Gutkha was seized and action was initiated against the owners of factories too. That, on such action, Mr. Ghadawat came to my office and conveyed displeasure expressed by the Hon. Dy CM sir to him regarding initiation of action against these manufacturers and insisted me to ask those manufactures to meet either him or directly to the Hon. Dy CM sir. I categorically denied to comply to what Mr Ghodawat was insisting. That, in the month of July / August 2020, I was called by Hon. Minister My. Anil Parab Saheb at his official bungalow. It was the same week in which the internal orders for DCP postings in Mumba was revised in 3/4 days. At the meeting the Hon. minister sir asked me to look into the SBUT complaint which was under preliminary enquiry and asked me to bring the trustee of the SBUT to him for negotiation about the enquiry. He also insisted to initiate primary talks to get ₹ 50 crores from the SBUT in order to close the said enquiry. I had expressed my inability to do any such things as I do not know anyone from the SBUT and also I did not have any control over the enquiry. That, in the month of January 2021, I was called by the Hon. Minister Parab Saheb again called me at his official bungalow and asked me to look into enquiry against fraudulent contractors listed in the Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation. He told me to collect at least ₹ 2 crores from about 50 such contactors. The said enquiry is undergoing on an anonymous complaint. The said enquiry was under preliminary enquiry in the CIU and till my transfer from the CIU nothing insinuating was found. That, in the month of January 2021, I was called by the Hon. Home Minister saheb at his official bungalow “Dyaneshwar”. PA Mr. Kundan was present there. The Hon. Minister sir told me there are approx. 1650 bars and restaurants in Mumbai and told me to collect ₹ 3 to 3.5 lakh each from these for him. That, on this I told Hon. HM sir that as far as I know there would be about 200 bars and not 1650 as he was anticipating. I also told the Hon. HM sir that I would not be in a position to collect any amount from any such bar for him as it was beyond scope of my capabilities. Immediately after coming out of his chamber his PA Mr. Kundan advised me that I must comply with the instructions of the Hon. HM sir if I wish to keep my job and post intact. I still refused. That, immediately after this meeting, I narrated the happenings to the Hon. CP sir. I also expressed my apprehension that sometime in near future I would be embroiled in a false controversy. The Hon CP sir encouraged me and categorically instructed me to not to involve in any such illegal collection of money from anyone and for anyone. Your honour, I am putting these facts before you have to get justice for me. And for this act of kindness I shall ever pray. |
Note: The text of the handwritten letter has been reproduced here without any grammatical or typographical correction.
