Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday ordered a probe into the meeting between former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh and dismissed police officer Sachin Waze, on Monday when Singh had appeared before an inquiry commission here.
Singh and Waze are co-accused in an extortion case in Mumbai.
Waze is in judicial custody and as per the rules he is not supposed to meet anyone. I have instructed Mumbai police commissioner Hemant Nagrale to probe the matter, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil told reporters on Tuesday.
Objecting to Singh, the DG of Home Guards who remained absent in office for long before resurfacing last week to face the investigation in cases of extortion, using a government vehicle for his movements, Walse Patil said this matter will also be probed.
“Such meeting between Waze and Param Bir Singh is absolutely wrong. Waze can be met only with the permission of the court. But it seems he has not obtained any such permission to meet Waze,” the home minister said.
The alleged meeting took place on Monday in an adjoining room on the second floor of a building housing Singh’ office in south Mumbai when he appeared before Justice Chandiwal (retired) Commission probing the allegations of corruption levelled by him against the then state home minister Anil Deshmukh.
Waze was brought there for cross-examination.
According to sources, Singh and Waze spoke to each other for more than 30 minutes, and an objection to this was raised with the panel by the lawyer of Deshmukh.
Though Walse Patil admitted that Singh and Waze met in a room for some time, he did not specify the duration of this meeting.
The home minister also expressed his disappointment over Singh using an official vehicle for his movements.
It is wrong on the part of Param Bir Singh to use the official vehicle. He is not even on duty and facing very serious charges. This matter will be probed as well, he added.
The Mumbai police had on Monday recorded the statements of four personnel who had escorted Waze, after the meeting between him and Singh caused a flutter.
The one-member commission has been set up by the state government to probe allegations of corruption levelled against Deshmukh by Singh after the latter was removed as Mumbai police commissioner.
Waze has been appearing before the commission for his cross-examination in connection with the case.
Both Waze and Singh are also co-accused in an extortion case filed in Goregaon. The former is also in jail in connection with the Antilia bomb scare-Mansukh Hiran murder case.
Also read: Param Bir Singh appears before probe panel after months, fined Rs 15,000 but warrant cancelled
Param Bir, Waze planned Antilia bomb scare, claims Nawab Malik
Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Tuesday alleged that former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh and dismissed cop Sachin Waze had planned the bomb threat near industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence ‘Antilia’ in the state capital.
The duo had also planned the “fake” encounter of a goon by showing him as a Pakistani national with the help of a bogus passport (after the bomb scare incident), Malik claimed while talking to reporters here.
The NCP leader also claimed that Singh and Waze had “misled” the state home ministry in connection with the the Antilia bomb scare case.
Asked about NCP leader Anil Deshmukh’s resignation as the state home minister earlier this year, Malik termed it as “politically motivated”.
An explosives-laden SUV was found near Ambani’s residence in south Mumbai in February this year. A few days later, businessman Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of the SUV, was found dead in a creek at Mumbra in neighbouring Thane district.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting a probe into the Antilia bomb scare case.
The central agency had in March arrested Waze for his alleged role in the case. Waze, who was then serving as assistant police inspector, was later dismissed from service.
Malik claimed that Singh and Waze had given wrong briefings to the state home ministry to “mislead” it in the (Antilia bomb scare) case.
“Param Bir Singh and Sachin Waze had planned the Antilia bomb threat. They had even made a fake passport with the entry and exit stamps of Pakistan for a goon. If Mansukh Hiran wasn’t killed or had he surrendered, then both had planned the fake encounter of the goon, showing him as a terrorist,” Malik claimed.
The NIA had found a fake passport at Waze’s home, even the ‘panchnama’ mentioned about the passport. The NIA should put it forth before the public, the minister said.
To a query that Deshmukh and Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had backed Waze after the Antilia bomb scare, Malik said a minister or a CM speak on the basis of briefings from officials.
“Singh and Waze, considering their planning in the case, were briefing the home minister and the CM and based on it the latter were speaking in the legislature. Both the officers were misleading the minister,” he claimed.
Singh was unavailable for reaction on Malik’s comments.
Also read: ‘Untraceable’ since May, Param Bir Singh arrives in Mumbai, says will join investigation