“There can be no independent investigation if it is given to Police as Deshmukh is Home Minister of Maharashtra. The interest of justice will be done if the Director of CBI is allowed to conduct a preliminary inquiry,” the court said.
Bombay HC directs CBI to conduct ‘preliminary inquiry’ into corruption allegations against Anil Deshmukh
The court said, “If the police have Deshmukh HM, there can be no independent investigation. If the CBI director is allowed to conduct a preliminary inquiry in the judicial interest, then justice will be done”.
The Bombay High Court on Monday directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a ‘preliminary inquiry’ into allegations of corruption by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. Terming the case as ‘extraordinary and unprecedented’, the court asked the CBI to complete the investigation within 15 days, after which the CBI director is free to take further action.
Three days after he was removed from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner and posted in Home Guards, Singh wrote an eight-page letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, alleging that Deshmukh asked how the suspended and arrested Assistant Police Inspector Sachin paid 100 every month. Collected crores of rupees. 40-50 crores from 1,750 bars and restaurants in Mumbai including Rs.
HC ruled on a criminal PIL by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, seeking a CBI inquiry against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, along with two other PILs seeking an independent inquiry was.
The court also passed the order on the criminal writ petition of city lawyer Jayashree Patil, who sought directions from the police to take cognizance of the complaint filed by him at the Malabar Hill station, with an independent investigation into the allegations, Deshmukh complained of corruption , By Singh and others. Patil had demanded registration of an FIR in the case.
A bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Dutta and Justice Girish S. Kulkarni said, “We agree with Jayashree Patil that a fair inquiry is required to direct the inquiry to ascertain the truth.” There can be no independent investigation of Deshmukh being given to the police as HM. If the director of the CBI is allowed to conduct a preliminary inquiry, justice will be of interest. Such preliminary investigation is done in accordance with the law and concluded within 15 days. “