Mumbai: In a scathing report submitted to the home department, Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale has exposed the nexus between his predecessor Param Bir Singh and suspended assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze. Nagrale’s report indicates how Singh pampered Vaze and gave him charge of key crime cases, bypassing senior officers.
The report has surfaced a day after the Maharashtra government and former home minister Anil Deshmukh have separately filed petitions in the Supreme Court, challenging the Bombay High Court order for a preliminary probe by the CBI into the corruption allegations levelled by former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.
The report, a copy of which is in the possession of The Free Press Journal, further said that Vaze’s posting as in charge of Criminal Intelligence Unit CIU) was issued on the basis of oral orders by Singh but the then joint commissioner of police had unwillingly done so. This is despite the fact that the CIU in-charge post is that of an officer of police inspector rank.
“In this regard, the then CP vide their letter dated May 25, 2020, had issued office order to joint CP (Crime) that it is hereby ordered that the posting/transfer of senior police inspector/in charge of all units of Crime Branch, Mumbai will be done with prior approval of CP."
As reported by the FPJ, the decision to reinstate Vaze in 2020 was taken at a toplevel review meeting, with Singh. However, the former joint commissioner had strongly opposed Vaze’s posting in CIU. Vaze was directly reporting to Singh, bypassing other senior officers and he was using high-end luxury cars like Mercedes Benz, Audi and other private vehicles to reach office, instead of government vehicles.
Vaze worked as the CIU in-charge from June 10, 2020, to March 13, 2021, and in between, 17 criminal cases were under the investigation of the CIU. “Vaze has not followed the rules and he directly and independently reported to the then CP, Mumbai and investigated under his guidance, bypassing the report system,” said Nagrale in his report.
“Vaze never reported to any officer of the crime branch, during his tenure of nine months. No officers of the Crime Branch gave any review opinion/direction in the investigations handled by Vaze because he directly reported to the then CP,” said the report.
“Vaze was following the guidelines of the then CP about the raid on illegal activities, on who should or should not be arrested, who should be called as witness and accused in sensitive and important cases, as well as regarding the points to be mentioned by the CIU in remand application, bail/anticipatory bail applications and other critical decisions,” added Nagrale.
Further, Vaze would never report to senior officers of Crime Branch. “Occasionally, he would discuss crime, informally. Vaze had strictly prohibited his CIU colleagues from reporting to senior officers of the Crime Branch. He directly reported to the then CP about important decisions,” said Nagrale.
