In a statement to be submitted before the Special National Investigation Agency (NIA) Court, suspended Mumbai Police cop Sachin Waze claimed that former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Shiv Sena Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Anil Parab had asked him to commit extortion of over Rs. 100 crore.

Waze's lawyer tried to submit the statement to Additional Sessions Judge PR Sitre, who refused to take such document on record, instead directing Waze to follow the procedure and give a statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

In a handwritten letter, Waze corroborated the allegations in former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s letter, which claimed that Deshmukh had called him in October 2020 and asked him to extort money from 1,650 bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

Waze claimed that Deshmukh made the same demand again in January 2021, when the two met at the latter's official bungalow.

It was further claimed that Deshmukh’s secretary was witness to the meeting in which the former minister asked the Mumbai Police to collect Rs. 3-3.5 lakh from each of the bars and restaurants.

"I refused, saying it was not within the scope of my capability," Waze claimed in the letter.

Waze further stated that National Congress Party President Sharad Pawar wanted to revoke his reinstatement to the Mumbai Police in 2020. Deshmukh allegedly told Waze that if he pays Rs 2 crore, he will convince Pawar to allow him back in the force.

"The home minister told me that he will convince Pawar saheb and for that purpose, he asked me to pay Rs 2,00,00,000. I had expressed my inability to pay such an amount. On this the home minister asked me to pay it in a later course," Waze wrote.

Waze further alleged that State Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab had asked him to extort money for him.

He alleged that Parab met him in July-August 2020 and asked him to extract Rs 50 crore from the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), which was facing an inquiry.

“I had expressed my inability to do any such thing as I do not know anybody from SBUT and also I did not have any control over the inquiry," Waze stated in his letter.

The letter said that Parab had later asked Waze to look into an inquiry against contractors listed with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and collect Rs 2 crore each from them.

After he informed Singh about the extortion demands made by Deshmukh and Parab, the Commissioner purportedly asked him not to act on the same.

”I expressed my apprehension about this...I told him that I would be embroiled in a false controversy in the near future. The CP encouraged me and categorically instructed me not to involve myself in any such illegal collection of money from anyone and for anyone."

Singh had also alleged in his letter of March 20, 2021 to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray that Deshmukh had asked police officers, including Waze, to collect Rs 100 crore each month from bars and restaurants.

Meanwhile, the NIA Court on Wednesday permitted the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to interrogate Waze into the allegations made by Singh against Deshmukh.

Waze will remain in the NIA custody till April 9 in the case pertaining to explosives-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiren.

[Read Sachin Waze’s statement]