Top ministers asked me to extort money: Vaze

MUMBAI Suspended Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze alleged on Wednesday that top Maharashtra ministers asked him to extort from businessmen and establishments, echoing similar charges by former Mumbai commissioner Param Bir Singh that are being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Vaze, who is currently being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for allegedly planting explosives in a car outside billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s house in February and killing businessman Mansukh Hiran in March, made the allegations in a letter he intended to submit before the special NIA court hearing his case.

The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government denied the allegations. Transport minister Anil Parab debunked Vaze’s allegations saying he was not involved in any extortion case and it was the BJP’s conspiracy to defame the MVA government.

“In order to defame the Chief Minister (Uddhav Thackeray), it was necessary to vilify someone close to the Chief Minister and this is a part of agenda being pursued by the BJP,” Parab told reporters. “I am ready for an inquiry by any agency whether NIA, RAW or anyone. I am even ready for narco test,” he added.

In his four-page letter, Vaze alleged that former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and sitting transport minister Anil Parab asked him to collect money, but he refused. He also said that he was approached for money by a man claiming to be close to deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.