In a significant development, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh has leveled serious allegations against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, accusing him of orchestrating a conspiracy to fabricate cases against prominent BJP politicians. Singh claimed that he was pressured to frame BJP leaders, including current Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, under the instructions of key political figures.
Singh's allegations surfaced during a recent interview with ANI, where he provided a detailed account of the alleged conspiracy. "Very shocking things have come to my notice that not only false cases were registered against me and they had tried to arrest me, but in a particular case?the 'Urban Land Ceiling' (ULC) case?the investigating officer, Sardar Patil, was directly getting instructions from Sanjay Pandey, who was receiving orders from Anil Deshmukh, Sharad Pawar, and Uddhav Thackeray," Singh stated.
Singh further alleged that the conspiracy extended beyond him, with efforts made to implicate and arrest Fadnavis and Shinde in the ULC case. "Instructions were there not only to implicate and arrest me in that case but also to implicate Devendra Fadnavis, the then leader of the opposition and the present deputy chief minister. Another very shocking thing that has come to my notice from the evidence which is available with me now is that the instructions were there to implicate and arrest Eknath Shinde in that ULC case," Singh added.
These revelations come in the wake of accusations made by Anil Deshmukh, who had earlier alleged that Singh was the mastermind behind the Antilia bomb scare and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiren in 2021. Deshmukh claimed that Singh had been removed from his position for failing to provide accurate information and misleading the investigation.
The allegations against Singh led the then Maha Vikas Aghadi government to take a stern stance, resulting in Singh's suspension and the dismissal of five police officers. Deshmukh also accused Singh of directing police officer Sachin Vaze to collect ?100 crore from bars and restaurants in Mumbai on a monthly basis. Deshmukh subsequently resigned from his post as home minister in April 2021 and was arrested in November 2022.
As these allegations unfold, the political landscape in Maharashtra is witnessing intense scrutiny, with key figures from various parties being drawn into the controversy. The involvement of high-ranking political leaders, including Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray, has added another layer of complexity to the situation, raising questions about the extent of political interference in law enforcement.
The claims made by Param Bir Singh, coupled with Fadnavis's defense and submission of video evidence to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), are likely to fuel further investigations and political debates in the state. As the situation develops, all eyes will be on how these allegations are addressed by the concerned authorities and the potential impact on Maharashtra's political landscape.
