Maharashtra government orders inquiry against Param Bir Singh on corruption charges

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Mumbai: The Maharashtra Home Department has ordered an inquiry against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in connection with the allegations of corruption levelled against him by an inspector, sources said on Thursday.

As per the orders, Maharashtra DGP Sanjay Pandey has been asked to probe the allegations against Singh, they said.

The allegations were made by police inspector Anup Dange, who was suspended last year and reinstated in the force recently.

As per Dange's claims, Singh had demanded Rs two crore from him to revoke his suspension. The inspector had written a letter to the Additional Chief Secretary (Home) about Singh's demand.

Singh had, however, denied the allegations levelled by the inspector.

Based on the complaint, the home department ordered an inquiry into the charges against Singh, the sources said.

Maharashtra DGP was not available for his comment on the issue.

This is a second inquiry that the state government has ordered against Singh.

The home department had earlier asked the DGP to conduct an inquiry against Singh for alleged dereliction of duty in connection with the probe into the recovery of an explosives-laden vehicle near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai on February 25.

Param Bir Singh, who was under flak for the handling of the case, was unceremoniously transferred from the prestigious post of Mumbai police chief on March 17.

On March 20, Singh had written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had indulged in "malpractices" and asked suspended police officer Sachin Waze to collect Rs 100 crore every month from bars and hotels.

Deshmukh later resigned as a minister after the Bombay High Court ordered a CBI probe into the allegations made by Singh.