Supreme Court to hear Param Bir Singh`s plea seeking CBI probe against Anil Deshmukh on March 24

Singh approached the top court seeking CBI investigation in the matter. He has also challenged his transfer ordered by the state government.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court will hear the plea of former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh in connection with the row surrounding Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Wednesday (March 24).

Singh approached the top court seeking a CBI investigation in the matter. He has also challenged his transfer ordered by the state government.

Under flak for the handling of the recent bomb scare, the Maharashtra government on March 17 transferred Singh from the post and appointed senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale, who was holding additional charge of Maharashtra DGP, as the new commissioner of Mumbai Police. 

Following the transfer order, Singh wrote a letter to CM Uddhav Thackeray levelling serious charges on the state home minister. He alleged that Deshmukh ran an extortion racket of which suspended API Sachin Waze was a part. Waze was allegedly asked by Deshmukh to make collections to the tune of Rs 100 crores every month.

BJP Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis has mounted a sharp attack on the ruling Thackeray-led government, demanding the resignation of Deshmukh.

He also hit out at NCP chief Sharad Pawar for defending Deshmukh.

"This is an attempt to protect Deshmukh. Pawar Saheb is not being briefed properly and hence not speaking the truth. They are getting exposed in the process," Fadnavis said on Tuesday.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad also held a press conference on Tuesday to question the Maharashtra government.

"The Maharashtra government is 'of extortion (vasooli), by extortion and for extortion'," said Prasad.

He added that the state government has lost moral authority to govern.