Maharashtra: CM Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya also pressured me to reinstate Sachin Waze, Param Bir tells ED

This is the first time that Param Bir Singh, who is facing at least five FIRs in the state on charges of extortion, has levelled allegations against the Thackerays. Last year, Singh had raised allegations of corruption against Deshmukh in a letter to the Chief Minister, leading to the NCP leader’s resignation as home minister.

In his statement to the ED, Singh also alleged that Deshmukh and Shiv Sena’s Transport Minister Anil Parab would send “lists” of officers and postings to be allotted, in violation of Supreme Court norms.

Responding to the allegations, Parab told The Indian Express he was not aware of his name being mentioned in the ED chargesheet. “Neither do we have any such information with us nor have we received it,” he said.

Deshmukh had earlier told the ED that while he and Parab would send such lists, his instructions were to follow due procedure.

Asked about the allegations against the Chief Minister and his son, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said: “Vendetta politics is being played against the Maharashtra government through central investigative agencies. The BJP wants to topple the government and they want us to surrender to them. They are targeting, right from the Chief Minister to leaders like me. But we won’t buckle under the pressure and will continue to fight.”

Singh’s eight-page statement is part of the supplementary chargesheet filed last month against Deshmukh, his two sons and others on money-laundering charges linked to bribes allegedly collected by Waze on their behalf between December 2020 and March 2021.

In his statement recorded on December 3, 2021, Singh also claimed that Waze is being pressured in jail, strip-searched and abused on a daily basis to withdraw his statement given to the ED. Waze had claimed in his statement to the agency that he had collected bribes on instructions from Deshmukh — a charge the NCP leader has denied.

Singh has also alleged that Deshmukh pleaded with Waze to withdraw the statement when the two came face to face on November 30 before the Justice K U Chandiwal Commission, which is probing the allegations of corruption.

Singh alleged that Mumbai Police DCP Laxmikant Patil had been meeting Waze in custody to “pressurise and cajole him”. When contacted, Patil said he had not read the statement and would not comment. Sources said Patil had met Waze in his official capacity.

According to the chargesheet, Singh told ED: “I would like to state that there was pressure from Hon’ble Home Minister Shri Anil Deshmukh for his (Waze’s) reinstatement. I also got direct instructions from Shri Aditya Thackeray & the Hon’ble CM Shri Uddhav Thackeray. I got similar instructions for his posting to the crime branch and to give him some important posting there. Some important cases were assigned to CIU which was headed by Sachin Waze on instructions of Hon’ble CM & Hon’ble Home Minister.”

The decision to reinstate Waze was taken in a review meeting of Mumbai Police on June 5, 2020, led by Singh as Commissioner. Later, the police told a local court that the decision to end Waze’s “continuous suspension” for over 16 years was based on various factors, including delay in trial and “need of more policemen on duty” due to the pandemic.

On the “lists” received on officers and postings, Singh told the ED: “…I was called at Sahyadri guest house where Anil Deshmukh and Anil Parab brought their separate list and used to reconcile and finalise the final transfer and postings orders for Mumbai city.”

In his statement to the ED, Deshmukh had described Singh as the “mastermind” of the bomb scare case and that the former commissioner had tried to mislead him when the case came to light, which was why he was removed as Police Commissioner.

Singh was Mumbai’s police chief until March 2021, when he was shunted out following the bomb scare case and allegations of corruption raised by him against Deshmukh. He went on leave in May and was untraceable till November when he appeared before the Crime Branch in Mumbai in connection with one of the extortion cases against him.

Deshmukh had also told the ED that he did not know how Waze was reinstated as the decision fell under the Police Commissioner’s authority. Deshmukh had cited an official report on the decision to claim that the then JCP (Crime) had “unwillingly” issued the order at the instance of Singh.

Deshmukh had told the agency that he did receive “lists” from Parab, “which was unofficial and had no signatures.” Deshmukh told the agency that it “could be that he (Parab) used to receive the references/ representation from MLAs/ MLCs from his party Shiv Sena for transfers and postings of police officers and then he used to forward the same to me in person”.

Asked by ED officials if those mentioned would be included in the final list, Deshmukh claimed that the decision is taken by the Police Establishment Board, which comprises a senior officer of the Home department and top police officials.