Bombay High Court on Monday asked CBI to start a preliminary inquiry within 15 days into corruption allegations of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.
On petition of Dr Jaishri Patil, the Bombay High Court has asked the CBI director to conduct a preliminary inquiry within 15 days and to register an FIR if any cognizable offence is found.
Patil, who has a doctorate in law, has been practising in Bombay High Court and Supreme Court for the last 22 years. On behalf of her, her husband Advocate Gunaratne Sadavarte had moved court against the Maratha reservation bill.
The HC on Tuesday had, however, taken a dim view of a petition filed by Patil seeking a CBI probe against Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh and former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh, saying such pleas were often filed for "cheap publicity".
A bench of Justices S S Shinde and Manish Pitale was hearing a plea filed by Jaishri Patil, urging the HC to direct the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or any other independent agency to probe into the allegations of corruption against Deshmukh.
In her plea filed last week, Patil said Deshmukh and Singh acted in breach of their professional duties during the entire episode of an explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in Mumbai, the death of the vehicle's owner Mansukh Hiran, the arrest of Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze and related events.
(With inputs from PTI)
