Mahima
Suspended assistant police inspector, Sachin Waze, in his letter to Special NIA Court, supported former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh’s allegations against ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh.
The letter supported the claim of Param’s PIL that Deshmukh had asked Waze to collect Rs. 3-3.5 lakh each from around 1,650 bars and restaurants in Mumbai.
He also claimed that Deshmukh demanded Rs.2 crore for keeping his job as Sharad Pawar wanted him suspended.
He stated, “I duly was reinstated in service on June 6, 2020. That soon after my reinstatement there were certain agitators (people, who wanted) to reverse the reinstatement. Apparently, then it was ordered by Sharad Pawar to again place me under suspension. That, at that time the then home minister sir also told me that he will convince Pawar saheb and for that purpose he (HM Sir) asked me to pay Rs.2 crore.”
He also claimed that on expressing his inability to pay such a huge amount, the home minister asked him to ‘pay in later course’.
He further added that Deshmukh Sir had asked him to look into the preliminary enquiry related to the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT) and bring the trustees to him (HM) for ‘negotiation’ regarding the enquiry.
Waze added that he expressed his inability as he knew no one from SBUT nor had any control over the investigation when he was insisted to initiate primary talks to get Rs. 50 crore from the SBUT in order to close the said probe.
Waze also levelled charges against Anil Parab, the Transport Minister of the State, who asked him to look into a probe against ‘fraudulent’ contractors under BMC and extort at least Rs.2 crore from around 50 such contractors.
Transport minister, however, rejected such claims and argued that such allegations are merely to malign his reputation.
The suspended cop also affirmed that he had informed the then police commissioner, Param Bir Singh about Deshmukh’s demand on which he was instructed to not get involved in such illicit job.
Waze also claims that he was approached by one Darshan Ghodawat who introduced himself as ‘very close circle person’ of a senior cabinet minister insisting to collect Rs.100 crore from illegal gutkha sellers.
Waze is currently being investigated for his involvement in explosives-laden vehicle found near Mukesh Ambani’s house and death of businessman Mansukh Hiran.