Inquiries a vendetta: Param Bir Singh to HC
MUMBAI: Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, while making submissions in support his petition before the Bombay high court (HC) on Wednesday, has alleged that the two preliminary inquiries initiated against him by the state were intended to scuttle the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) probe which was ordered by the HC on April 5.
The state opposed the petition, stating that it was not maintainable as the preliminary inquiries initiated by it were under the purview of the Central Service Rules which are decided by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and added that Singh should have approached the tribunal rather than the HC.
The division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice NJ Jamadar was informed by senior advocate Mahesh Jethmalani that the plea challenged the two preliminary inquiries initiated against him. The first probe against Singh is under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case and the second probe is related to the allegations made by inspector Anup Dange, who was suspended last year and was recently reinstated.
While arguing on behalf of Singh, Jethmalani submitted that both the probes were ordered as a vendetta as he had complained to the chief minister (CM) about the corrupt practices ordered by former home minister Anil Deshmukh. “Instead of inquiring into the complaints by Singh against Deshmukh, the state has punished the whistleblower,” said Jethmalani.
He then said the state had tried to make Singh withdraw his March 20 letter to the chief minister by asking director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey to convince Singh to take back his allegations.
Senior counsel Darius Khambatta for the state, however, opposed the petition and argued that the issues raised by Singh pertained to service matters and he should approach CAT.
He refuted Singh’s claims that the state action was vendetta and added that Dange had lodged the complaint against Singh on February 4, much before Singh’s letter to the CM on March 20.
Senior Counsel Navroz Seervai, for DGP Pandey, concurred with Khambatta.
After hearing submissions, the court reserved its order on the issue of maintainability of Singh’s plea, which it will pronounce in due course.