Hours after Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar suggested name of Julio Riberio, the former top cop of Mumbai, Gujarat and Punjab to investigate the corruption allegations against Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the veteran cop has refused to be part of the inquiry.
As per a report in Indian Express, Julio Ribeiro citing age issues said that, "If I am asked, I will refuse. Please understand that I am 92 years old. I do not have the ability to make such inquiries. Even if I had the ability, I would have refused, because this is a very murky affair and it is not meant for people like me,” Ribeiro, who has served as the Mumbai Police commissioner and the DGP of Punjab and Gujarat."
Saying that the probe should be investigated by NCP chief Sharad Pawar himself he said, "Also, why should I lead an investigation against the sitting Home Minister? The probe must be made by Sharad Pawar himself. He is the head of the party. They themselves know everything and they should take action. They will have to do it now because people are fed up with all this."
The veteran cop also refused to recommend any other officer to investigate the case, when asked. He said, "I have no intention of recommending and putting good people in this situation. It is a very tricky situation as besides the political links, there are now murder allegations being brought in against officers of Mumbai Police. All of this is happening because of ambitious police officers and unscrupulous politicians."
Earlier in the day, Pawar had suggested to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Julio Ribeiro be appointed to head the investigations. “The Maharashtra Chief Minister has full authority to take a decision regarding an inquiry into the allegations against the Home Minister,” he had said.
Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on March 20 had alleged that Anil Deshmukh had asked Assistant Inspector Sachin Vaze, arrested by the NIA in the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case, to collect Rs 100 crore every month, including Rs 40-50 crore from some 1,750-odd bars and restaurants in Mumbai. The Home Minister refuted the allegations and accused the cop of saving himself in the case and also said that he may file a defamation case against the cop.
