Mumbai : The Enforcement Directorate has recorded statement of Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. The statement was recorded in connection with money laundering case against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, official sources said on Sunday.
The statement was recorded on December 3 at the agency’s office in south Mumbai under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
They said the 59-year-old was quizzed for about five hours with questions on different aspects of the case including the allegations he made against his then boss, former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh.
After three summons, Param Bir Singh has appeared before the Enforcement Directorate, on December 3, was questioned by the investigation officer, an assistant-director level officer, in the presence of the Deputy Director of Enforcement Directorate Mumbai for several hours.
Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh is in judicial custody. He was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate on November 3, after he appeared before Enforcement Directorate officials on Nov 2. He had earlier skipped five summons in the case by the Enforcement Directorate.
The case by the Enforcement Directorate was registered following the CBI FIR against Anil Deshmukh for allegedly asking some police officers to extort Rs 100 crore a month. In the same case, the Enforcement Directorate had earlier arrested Deshmukh’s PA and PS and had summoned Deshmukh and his son Hrishikesh.
Param Bir Singh had alleged in his letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Anil Deshmukh asked Sachin Vaze and some other Mumbai Police officers to extort Rs 100 crore a month.
The 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer was suspended by the Maharashtra government few days back following registration of police FIRs against him and some other police personnel on charges of extortion.
Sources said his statement was “vital” to take the investigation in the case forward. Former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh and his aides have been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in this case.
Singh had in March levelled allegations of corruption and misuse of official position against Deshmukh after he was shunted from the post of the Mumbai police commissioner in the aftermath of Antilia bomb scare incident.
He had accused Deshmukh of asking police officers to collect Rs 100 crore a month from restaurants and bars in Mumbai, a charge which the NCP leader denied.
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