"Will file defamation case:" Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh responds to former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh allegations

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has said that he will file a defamation suit against former Mumbai Police Commissioner, Param Bir Singh for making false allegations against Deshmukh in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, which was widely publicised in the media. .Deshmukh issued a press release late Saturday evening calling Singh's allegations as unfounded and an attempt to defame and blackmail the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, an alliance of Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party of Maharashtra. .Singh in a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had alleged that Home Minister Deshmukh frequently interfered with police investigation in various cases and also made untruthful statements about Singh's transfer as Commandant General of Home Guards, Maharashtra..The 8-page long letter written by Singh on Saturday alleged that Deshmukh constantly gave instructions to the police force directing it to adopt a particular course of investigation..Singh further claimed that Deshmukh had invited Mumbai Police officer Sachin Waze for a meeting at his residence in relation to the collection of funds for himself.Waze was allegedly asked to collect approximately 2-3 lakh rupees from about 1,750 bars, restaurants and similar establishments in Mumbai to ensure a monthly collection of Rs. 40-50 crores..Deshmukh in his response has said that the allegations were made by Singh after realising that he will get into difficultly in the Anitila incident, a case pertaining to an explosive loaded SUV found outside Mukesh Ambani's residence..Deshmukh also offered specific rebuttal to the allegations by Singh about how Deshmukh allegedly used police officer Sachin Waze to collect funds for himself and the WhatsApp chats revealed by Singh in that regard. .He alleged that Singh discovered a day prior to the official order that he was being removed from the Commissionerate post. Thereafter, he sent WhatsApp messages to Sanjay Patil, Assistant Commissioner of Police, with certain questions for which he got expected answers..Deshmukh alleged that this was part of the larger ploy by which Singh was systematically trying to collect evidence against Deshmukh. .After Deshmukh's interview on a Marathi news channel - Lokmat - on March 18, 2021 giving out details on Singh's transfer and the reasons for the same, Singh tried to create more evidence on WhatsApp on March 19, 2021..Admittedly, Waze and Patil were close to Singh and reinstalling Waze after 16 years of suspension was, in fact, Singh's decision, Deshmukh stated in his press statement. .Deshmukh mused as to why Singh did not say anything on this issue the day Waze got arrested or when Waze informed Singh about the alleged meeting with Deshmukh back in February..Deshmukh also alleged that Singh's letter was a ploy to divert from the serious investigations pertaining to the explosives case and the death of Mansukh Hiren who is linked to the SUV case..He, therefore, requested the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to initiate an enquiry into the matter.[Read letter here]