MAHARASHTRA SETS UP COMMITTEE TO PROBE PARAM BIR SINGH

The Maharashtra government, on Tuesday, set up a three-member committee headed by a senior IAS officer to probe former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. This comes after Acting Director General of Police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey decided to recuse himself from the probe, asking for the case to be assigned to someone else.

Pandey’s move came days after Singh alleged that the former had allegedly offered to mediate between him and the state government.

Singh had called Pandey and recorded the conversation in which Pandey allegedly made his offer. He attached the transcript of the conversation with Pandey in his petition filed last week in the Bombay High Court against the government’s decision to hold two probes against him.

The decision to conduct these inquiries by a committee led by a senior IAS officer was taken at the meeting on Monday. It is important as the High Court has slated the hearing on Singh’s petition for 4 May.

Last month, an FIR was filed by Maharashtra Police against the former Mumbai CP as well as DCP Parag Manare and 31 other police officials based on a complaint by Police Inspector Bhimrao Ghadge. Ghadge had made a series of allegations related to corruption against Param Bir Singh during the period where he was posted in the Thane Commissionerate under him. He had also alleged that after he refused to follow Singh’s instructions, 5 FIRs were registered against him and he was suspended. The Anti Corruption Bureau too is looking to investigate the allegations.