The Central Bureau of Investigation has registered a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the allegations of corruption and misconduct levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against ex-Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. CBI will also record a statement of complainant Dr Jaishri Patil in connection with the corruption case against Deshmukh.
A CBI official said, "The agency has registered a PE with respect to the Bombay High Court order dated April 5."
The Bombay High Court has asked the CBI director to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days in connection with the case and to register an FIR if any cognisable offence is found.
CBI Joint Director Manoj Shashidhar, who was leading Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput case, will also supervise corruption case filed againt Deshmukh.
Singh had sought a thorough probe by the CBI into his allegations that Deshmukh had asked arrested policeman Sachin Vaze 'to collect' Rs 100 crore per month and also challenged his own (Singh) transfer as Commandant-General, Home Guards.
The state had strongly objected to the plea on the grounds that Singh made the allegations only because he was shunted out of his post as Mumbai police chief.
The Maharashtra government and Deshmukh have moved the Supreme Court, challenging the order of a division bench of the Bombay High Court comprising Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice G.S. Kulkarni. Deshmukh also sought a stay on the high court order as interim relief.
Deshmukh, in his petition, said that the Court (Bombay High Court) believed that the entire state machinery was untrustworthy, that no investigation, could have been made within the state by a state investigating agency, by referring to it as an "independent investigating agency", knowing fully well that its credentials in the past are not such that the court can repose absolute faith in such an agency.
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