Cong seeks SC probe into leaked ‘CBI report’

MUMBAI: The Congress on Sunday demanded a Supreme Court (Sc)-monitored probe into a leaked report, allegedly made by an official of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), that ruled out involvement of former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in the corruption and extortion case. The viral report shows that the agency’s Investigation Officer had said “no cognisable offence has been committed by Anil Deshmukh”.

Anil Deshmukh, accused of corruption by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh, had stepped down in April citing moral grounds. His resignation came hours after the Bombay high court ordered a preliminary CBI investigation into Singh’s allegations.

Singh was shunted out as Mumbai police commissioner in March this year after the arrest of dismissed police officer Sachin Vaze in the case of an explosives-laden vehicle found near the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai.

“The preliminary enquiry has revealed that Sachin Vaze, API, was involved in illegal collection of money from orchestra/ hookah bar owners and owners of other establishments in Mumbai on the pretext of allowing them extended hours till late night and not conducting raids on them. It is not clear whether he was collecting money for his own benefit or for any others. There is material evidence in the form of oral evidence, documentary evidence and technical evidence, which is sufficient to prove the same,” stated the leaked document, posted by Congress’s spokesperson Sachin Sawant on Twitter.

“The enquiry conducted has revealed that no cognizable offence has been committed by Deshmukh, the then home minister,” the document added.

In another tweet, Sawant said: “We demand an Sc-monitored inquiry into this conspiracy to find out at whose behest the CBI changed its stand by overriding the report of the IO (Investigation Officer)? The HC had only asked for a Preliminary Enquiry (against Deshmukh) but filing an FIR by misguiding the high court is a huge crime of the CBI.”

CBI has neither confirmed nor rejected findings of the report. “It may be recalled that the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay had ordered the registration of a Preliminary Enquiry (PE) in the said matter based on several PILS filed before the Hon’ble High Court. On completion of this PE, the competent authority directed registration of a regular case based on evidence collected... Investigation in the

matter is ongoing,” it said.