EX-MUMBAI TOP COP MOVES HC AGAINST TWO PRELIMINARY PROBE ORDERS

MUMBAI: Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh filed a petition in the Bombay High Court on Thursday, challenging two preliminary enquiries initiated against him by the Maharashtra government.

In his petition, Singh claimed he was being targeted and harassed for highlighting the alleged “corrupt malpractices” of former state home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh.

Singh in his plea also claimed that during his meeting with state Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey on April 19, the latter “advised him” to withdraw his letter against Deshmukh which he had sent to the state government.

Singh, who was in March this year shifted from the post of Mumbai police commissioner to the Home Guards department, had in a letter to the government alleged corruption and misuse of official position by Deshmukh.

Last month, he also filed a public interest litigation in the HC, seeking a CBI inquiry against Deshmukh.

On April 5, the HC directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to carry out a preliminary enquiry into the allegations levelled by Singh against Deshmukh, following which the latter resigned as home minister. The CBI, after completing its enquiry, had registered an FIR against Deshmukh. Singh’s petition was mentioned before a division bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale which directed the government to respond to the allegations levelled by him in his plea, and posted the matter for further hearing on May 4.