Had complained to then CM against Deshmukh but no action taken: Former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh

Mumbai:  Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said on Saturday  that the allegations levelled against him by former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh were “wild and baseless” and that he had complained to the then Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and leaders such as Sharad Pawar about an “extortion racket” against Deshmukh but no action was taken.

Param Bir Singh said that the allegations levelled by him against Dehmukh were “not politically motivated” and not made on behest of anyone.  He said he is willing for joint narco test “together” with Deshmukh, a senior leader of Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Chandra Pawar)  

Param Bir Singh told ANI that the statement that Deshmukh is referring to is from April 2021 when he had made “a complaint in writing, to the then CM Uddhav Thackeray and other dignitaries like Sharad Pawar and the Governor bringing out the malpractice of Anil Deshmukh as a Home Minister in the state where he was indulging an extortion racket and forcing officers to collect money for him and the target was Rs 100 crore of Mumbai city itself and the target for the rest of the state was probably much more”

“This allegation or this complaint was made by me not now it was made more than three years ago when the then government, the then CM had not responded to my complaint which earlier I had brought to their notice in person when they had not taken any cognisance so I had brought it and written to them about this. But again when no action was being taken instead they started targeting me...The CBI conducted a preliminary enquiry, and when they had enough evidence it was converted to FIR. Anil Deshmukh was arrested in the case. He was charge-sheeted by CBI and ED was inside for a long time. Now he's out and suddenly out of the blue after three years he is making these baseless and wild allegations against me. I don’t understand what is the reason suddenly," he added.

Param Bir Singh said he has stayed away from the media after approaching the court and has made his submissions there.

He said he had come out in open due to Deshmukh’s allegatgions against him.

He said Deskhmukh is still an accused in CBI and ED cases and is on bail. “The matter is subjudice. Time will tell what is the outcome of case, so he cannot claim innocence because he is not innocent. Malpractices he was indulging in was in my personal knowledge. The allegations made by me were not politically motivated, I am not in touch with any political party, I have no political aspirations. The compliant was a true complaint, not made at behest of anybody.”

Deshmukh alleged on Sunday that the corruption charges against him were made by dismissed police inspector Sachin Waze and former Mumbai Police Commissioner Singh three years ago, claiming it was done on the instruction of Devendra Fadnavis, now Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister.

Anil Deshmukh, a senior NCP (SP) leader, had claimed earlier this month that Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had told Param Bir Singh from to make allegations against Deshmukh in a bid to topple the government led by Uddhav Thackeray.

Anil Deshmukh resigned in April 2021 following Param Bir Singh’s allegations of corruption against him  when MVA government was in power in the state.  Param Bir Singh had accused Deshmukh of setting a montthly target to collect Rs 100 crore from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

The former Mumbai Police Commissioner said that he was ready for a narco test and also challenged Deshmukh to go for the test.

He claimed that Anil Deshmuk’s son Salil had met him and offered to make him DGP if he withdraws his complaint.  

"I feel pity for their mental health. I think they have lost mental balance. They need psychiatric treatment. And if they're blaming then at that time when I wrote a letter to the Chief Minister and approached the High Court, his son Salil  me and said that he (Anil Deshmukh) had made a mistake. He said that he'd make me the DGP of the state and Deshmukh sir will also apologise to you for our mistake, please withdraw what you've written against Deshmukh. What was the need for Salil to approach me at that time? I'm ready for my narco test, I'm telling the truth. If they (Salil and Anil Deshmukh) are telling the truth, then come with me, we'll do the narcotics test together," Singh said.

According to reports, Salil has denied Singh’s allegation.

Maharashtra will face assembly polls later this year and both the ruling alliance and opposition parties have started making preparations.