Supreme Court rejects Maharashtra, Deshmukh plea

New Delhi, April 8

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to interfere with the Bombay High Court order for a CBI probe into former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh’s allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

“We are of the view that the nature of allegations, the persons involved and the seriousness of the allegations do require an independent agency to inquire into the matter,” a Bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said, without getting into niceties of the high court’s order.

Terming it “a matter of public confidence”, it said, “We are not inclined to interfere with the impugned order(s).” On behalf of Deshmukh and Maharashtra Government, senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi contended that a CBI probe couldn’t be ordered on the basis of unsubstantiated allegations.

Singhvi argued that the state government wasn’t heard before the high court ordered the CBI probe and that Deshmukh had resigned before the probe commenced.

However, the Bench rejected Singhvi’s contention that merely because Deshmukh resigned after the HC order, it would be a factor not to direct an enquiry by an independent agency. The top court also took note of the fact that what had been directed was only a preliminary enquiry, albeit by an independent agency.

The Bench noted that the then Home Minister Deshmukh and the then Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh were working together closely till they fell apart. “The parties were hunky dory... Let the CBI do its job,” it said rejecting the petitions. There were three PILs in the HC seeking a CBI probe against Deshmukh who allegedly asked police officers, including suspended cop Sachin Waze, to extort Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants. Deshmukh denied the allegations. — TNS