Former Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh appears before CBI over 'extortion' allegations by ex-Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh

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New Delhi: Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh appeared before the CBI on Wednesday (April 14) for questioning in connection with the allegations of corruption levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

Anil Deshmukh reached the DRDO guest house, where a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is camping in suburban Santacruz around 10 am, an official said.

On Monday, the CBI had issued a notice calling Former Maharashtra Home Minister to join the agency's probe into the allegations levelled against him by Param Bir Singh and suspended police officer Sachin Waze, the official said.

Sachin Waz, who was an assistant police inspector, is under investigation in the case of an explosive-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in south Mumbai.

The CBI is conducting a into the allegations against Anil Deshmukh levelled by Param Bir Singh after he was removed from the post of Mumbai police commissioner.

The allegations were reportedly corroborated by Waze in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting a probe into the SUV case, the officials earlier said.

The Bombay High Court last week directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations levelled by Param Bir Singh against Anil Deshmukh.

In a letter addressed to Maharashtra Chief Minister, Param Bir Singh had claimed that Deshmukh asked Waze to allegedly extort over Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. Anil Deshmukh has denied the allegations.

So far, the CBI has recorded statements of Param Bir Singh, Sachin Waze, Deputy Commissioner of Police Raju Bhujbal, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Patil, advocate Jayshree Patil and hotel owner Mahesh Shetty.

(With Agency inputs)