CBI BOOKS DESHMUKH FOR ALLEGED CORRUPTION
NEW DELHI: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Saturday booked former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Indian Penal Code’s section 120 B (criminal conspiracy) over a month after ex-Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh accused him of running an extortion racket.
It conducted a preliminary inquiry on the Bombay high court’s directions before registering an FIR against Deshmukh and “unknown others”.
NEW DELHI: The CBI has booked former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh in connection with allegations of bribery against him and carried out searches at various locations in Mumbai on Saturday, officials said.
The probe agency had carried out a preliminary enquiry on the orders of Bombay High Court to look into the allegations against him levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, they said.
According to the officials, during the enquiry, the CBI got enough prima facie material to start a formal probe by registering a regular case against Deshmukh and other unidentified persons under the provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
After registering the case, the CBI started a search operation at a number of locations in Mumbai, they said.
On March 25, Param Bir Singh filed criminal public interest litigation seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh who, he claimed, had asked police officers, including suspended cop Sachin Vaze, to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants.
Singh had initially approached the Supreme
Court, alleging he was transferred from the post of Mumbai police commissioner after he complained to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and other senior leaders about the “corrupt malpractices” of Deshmukh.
The apex court had termed the matter as quite serious but asked Singh to approach the high court.
Singh then filed the PIL in the high court, reiterating his allegations against Deshmukh and seeking an “immediate, unbiased, impartial” probe by the CBI against Deshmukh, who is an NCP leader.
The Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress share power in Maharashtra.
MUMBAI: Mumbai police on Saturday suspended inspector Sunil Mane, a day after he was arrested by the NIA in connection with the recovery of an explosives-laden SUV near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence here and murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran, an official said.
His suspension order was issued in the morning, the official said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is probing both these cases - recovery of SUV and Hiran’s murder had arrested Mane on Friday for his alleged involvement.
Mane had been transferred to the local arms section in a reshuffle of crime branch following the arrest of assistant police inspector Sachin Waze in Ambani security scare case.
Mane was earlier in-charge of Unit-11 (Kandivali) of Mumbai crime branch. The NIA on Friday claimed that during the probe, it came to light that Mane was part of the conspiracy to kill Hiran. After Mane’s arrest, a special court in Mumbai remanded him to the central probe agency’s custody till April 28.