Mumbai: The Maha Vikas Aghadi government was perturbed at the leakage of the call data records (CDR) pertaining to the abandoned Scorpio found outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s residence on February 25.
Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis’s claim in the state assembly that he was in the possession of the CDR forced the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government to pull up its socks.
The MVA partners were also frustrated at the manner in which Fadnavis was exposing the government, citing access to ‘secret’ security inputs.
These exposes by the opposition went against Param Bir Singh. The issue was discussed at length by NCP Sharad Pawar at his meeting with Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday. “Pawar was quite furious over the leakage of information to the opposition. He was also angry with Singh, for his mishandling,” said an MVA minister.
“No police officer is greater than the establishment and if he tries to pose so, it is time he is shown the door,’” Pawar is reported to have told Thackeray, in no uncertain terms. He argued that Singh should be transferred immediately, for his default by omission.
Another minister said, “There was unanimity among the MVA partners that Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had no role in protecting Vaze. But there was consensus that Singh may have preferred not to act against Vaze and allowed events to take their course. That has gone against Singh.”
Moreover, there is a possibility that the NIA may reopen the death case of Sayed Khwaja Yunus Sayed Ayub who was an accused in the 2002 Ghatkopar blast case. Vaze and three constables were suspended from the police force in 2004 after they were arrested in connection with the death of Sayed Khwaja Yunus Sayed Ayub in January 2003. “When Vaze was reinstated in the police force in 2020, he was picked up by Singh to head the Crime Investigation Unit while neglecting senior inspectors for the post. Singh’s love for Vaze has been another negative factor,” said the minister.
