Pinnacle Court Says Very Disturbing scenario in Maharashtra As Former Police Commissioner Has No Faith In Own Force regarding Param Bir Singh case

The Top today said it is a "very disturbing" scenario in Maharashtra where the former police commissioner Param Bir Singh does not have faith in his own force and the state government has no faith in the CBI.

A bench comprising Justices SK Kaul and MM Sundresh made this observation after Param Bir Singh's lawyers submitted that the state police was trying to corner him in departmental cases.

In the last hearing, the Supreme Court had issued notice to the CBI and the agency filed an affidavit in response today. It said it is clearly visible that the case is being jeopardized and, therefore, it should be ensured that such attempts fail.

The CBI said the probe agency is ready to take up the investigation as efforts are being made to meddle with the ongoing investigation into the extortion allegations in the case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. The agency also cited the chat transcript of Maharashtra DGP Sanjay Pandey given by Param Bir Singh. The CBI said that this is a clear attempt by Pandey to interfere in the investigation handed over by the court.

Apart from extending Singh's protection from arrest during the last hearing on December 6, it directed the Mumbai Police to not file any charge sheet in the cases against him. In the affidavit accessed by Republic TV, CBI SP Kiran S contended that the extortion case registered at the Goregaon Police Station had an overlapping effect over the allegations in the Anil Deshmukh case. The central agency dubbed this as an "overreach" by the Maharashtra government citing the fact that it had entrusted the case on the orders of the Bombay High Court and the apex court.

“The state government doesn’t think it appropriate for CBI to look into it and they filed a plea regarding this in Bombay High Court which they lost. Now the matter is in the Supreme Court. We do not know what will be the view of the concerned bench here. We have given you enough protection, we are not giving any more protection,” the bench said.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, expressed apprehension that the state government may take steps which could make its task difficult in concluding the probe.

He told the bench that an affidavit has been filed by CBI in the matter and it is ready to take over the probe in one of the criminal cases lodged by Maharashtra police against Singh.

Finally today the bench remarked "This is the same police force that you headed. Now, what do we say, the head of the police force has no trust in the police force, the administration has no trust in the police. This is a disturbing scenario".

The bench adjourned the hearing after being told that the State of Maharashtra has filed a Special Leave Petition challenging the order of the Bombay High Court which had refused its prayer to formulate an SIT to investigate the allegations levelled by Parambir Singh against former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.