Patna: Union Law and Justice Minister Ravishankar Prasad on Sunday demanded a CBI probe into the charges levelled by the former police commissioner of Mumbai, Parambir Singh, against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and questioned the mysterious silence of chief minister Uddhav Thackeray in defence of a "rogue" assistant police inspector.
At a hurriedly convened press conference at the BJP office here, Ravishankar Prasad, who represents Patna Saheb in Lok Sabha, said, "In my entire political career, I am seeing for the first time a chief minister who is defending a rogue Assistant police inspector charged with extortion". What is the secret, he asked?
Prasad pointed out that Sachin Vaze, who was suspended on orders of the High Court, was reinstated last year. ‘‘Who influenced the Home Department to reinstate Vaze? Was it Sharad Parwad, the chief minister or the Home Minister,’’ Prasad wondered and regretted that a junior police officer was patronised by all senior leaders of Maha Aghadi.
Referring to the charge of Parambir Singh that the State home minister had assigned Vaze a monthly target to collect Rs 100 crores from bars and restaurants, Union law minister said, "Maharashtra is a prosperous state. If Rs 100 crores is the target of extortion in one city by one department, one can imagine the target of other departments for the entire state".
He also criticised Parambir Singh for his assertion that he had even briefed NCP leader Sharad Pawar about the extortion racket being operated by home minister through Sachin Waze and said, "In what capacity did the police commissioner meet Sharad Pawar, who is not part of the government?"
