The ongoing Sushant Singh Rajput controversy and CBI probe on Thursday took a new twist after BJP legislator Atul Bhatkhalkar wrote a letter to PM Narendra Modi demanding the dismissal of Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. “I have appealed to PM Modi to invoke article 311 of the Constitution to dismiss Singh and DCP Abhishek Trimukhe who are derailing, misleading the investigation in SSR death case,” he said.
In a two-page letter, Bhatkhalkar said allowing the matter to rest on the only basis that there are no specific adverse observations against the Mumbai Police would be an act of self-deception for the police administration of Maharashtra. ‘’However, facts that are in public knowledge and available in public domain clearly show that the Mumbai Police under the leadership of Param Bir Singh and Abhishek Trimukhe were acting in a colourable exercise of powers to cause grave damage to interests of justice,’’ he noted.
According to Bhatkhalkar, it was contended by the Mumbai Police before the Supreme Court that the ‘’inquiry’’ being held by them since June 14,2020 was merely in the nature of inquest for ascertaining the cause of an unnatural death and then decide whether any offence was involved. ‘’The Mumbai Police machinery was set in motion for acts going beyond inquest and the activities that were carried out under directions conveyed by an invisible force through Param Bir Singh and Abhishek Trimukhe. The Mumbai Police had affected seizure of laptop, mobile, had traced the accesses made by SSR on the internet prior to his death, had interrogated persons who could never have been a part of any inquiry by way of inquest,’’ he said.
Though it is a cognizable offence, no FIR has been registered by the Mumbai Police for almost 65 days. He said the CBI investigation would be more than enough for any witness to either withhold the truth or turn hostile later.
‘’If the credibility and morale of Mumbai Police is to be restored, it is not safe to continue Param Bir Singh and Abhishek Trimukhe in service. Their continuation would be a deterrent against their colleagues and subordinates in coming forward and deposing the truth in any such inquiry,’’ said Bhatkhalkar.
