The commission of inquiry headed by retired Justice KU Chandiwal, set up by the Maharashtra government to look into allegations of corruption made by former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh against former home minister Anil Deshmukh, on Monday said that “powers under Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) will be used” if Singh does not appear before it on September 7. Under CrPC, this could mean the issuance of a warrant against Singh. Thrice in the past, the commissioner had imposed fines on Singh for not appearing before it. Singh once again did not appear before commission on Monday. The commissioner further said that if by September 7, no stay order is issued by the Bombay High Court, it will begin with gathering evidence from Singh. Singh has challenged the scope of of inquiry of the commission before the HC. On Monday, dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze, lodged at the Taloja Central Jail in connection with the Ambani terror scare case, appeared before the commission along with Deshmukh's former private secretary Sanjeev Palande, who is lodged in Byculla Central Prison in a money laundering case. Singh's advocate Anukul Seth told the commission that the fines imposed have been deposited. Singh had in the earlier hearings sought adjournments on the ground that the commission's scope of inquiry has been challenged before HC. Anita Castellino, appearing for Deshmukh, argued that there should be no further adjournments as the time for conclusion of the inquiry was nearing. The commissioner then adjourned the matter till September 7.
