MUMBAI: Enforcement Directorate (ED) has recorded the statement of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh on Friday, in a money laundering case they are investigating against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh.
Param Bir Singh earlier avoided two summons of ED while he was hiding to avoid arrest in different cases registered against him by the police in Maharashtra. Recently the Supreme Court provided Singh protection from arrest till the next hearing of his petition on December 6. After which Singh visited Mumbai to record his statements to the police and subsequently the ED issued a third summon to him asking to record his statement in the money laundering case.
The ED examined Singh and his family members’ financial details to ascertain if they received any benefit from the money collected by the police officer (now dismissed) Sachin Waze from bar owners. Also, they are examining Singh’s role in the reinstatement of Waze into the police force after 16-years of suspension in the custodial death of a blast suspect Khwaja Yunus and if there was any financial transaction between the two.
Singh was Mumbai police commissioner and Waze, who was heading the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Crime branch, was directly reporting to him about sensitive cases after bypassing three senior officers. It was alleged that Deshmukh called Waze for a meeting and demanded Rs 100 crore every month after stating that he should collect the money from bar owners in the city. Waze informed Singh about the demand after which he advised him not to follow the illegal instruction. Deshmukh also allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from Waze for convincing his party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar not to insist on his suspension from the police force.
The ED has arrested Deshmukh in the case for laundering the money illegally collected from bar owners and other sources by police officers, including Waze. The ED is investigating if Singh received any financial help in the transfer and posting of police officers apart from his role in Deshmukh’s Rs 100 crore demand.
In July 2020, Singh issued an order for transfer and posting of 10 DCPs for which then home minister Anil Deshmukh and transport minister Anil Parab were not happy. They got the transfer order reversed. In his statement to the ED, Waze said that he learnt that a total sum of Rs 40 crore had been collected from police officers listed in the said order and the money was equally divided between Deshmukh through Sanjeev Palande and Parab through Bajrang Kharmate,(deputy RTO).
Param Bir Singh earlier avoided two summons of ED while he was hiding to avoid arrest in different cases registered against him by the police in Maharashtra. Recently the Supreme Court provided Singh protection from arrest till the next hearing of his petition on December 6. After which Singh visited Mumbai to record his statements to the police and subsequently the ED issued a third summon to him asking to record his statement in the money laundering case.
The ED examined Singh and his family members’ financial details to ascertain if they received any benefit from the money collected by the police officer (now dismissed) Sachin Waze from bar owners. Also, they are examining Singh’s role in the reinstatement of Waze into the police force after 16-years of suspension in the custodial death of a blast suspect Khwaja Yunus and if there was any financial transaction between the two.
Singh was Mumbai police commissioner and Waze, who was heading the Crime Intelligence Unit of the Crime branch, was directly reporting to him about sensitive cases after bypassing three senior officers. It was alleged that Deshmukh called Waze for a meeting and demanded Rs 100 crore every month after stating that he should collect the money from bar owners in the city. Waze informed Singh about the demand after which he advised him not to follow the illegal instruction. Deshmukh also allegedly demanded Rs 2 crore from Waze for convincing his party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar not to insist on his suspension from the police force.
The ED has arrested Deshmukh in the case for laundering the money illegally collected from bar owners and other sources by police officers, including Waze. The ED is investigating if Singh received any financial help in the transfer and posting of police officers apart from his role in Deshmukh’s Rs 100 crore demand.
In July 2020, Singh issued an order for transfer and posting of 10 DCPs for which then home minister Anil Deshmukh and transport minister Anil Parab were not happy. They got the transfer order reversed. In his statement to the ED, Waze said that he learnt that a total sum of Rs 40 crore had been collected from police officers listed in the said order and the money was equally divided between Deshmukh through Sanjeev Palande and Parab through Bajrang Kharmate,(deputy RTO).
