The Supreme Court Thursday dismissed two separate pleas filed by the Maharashtra government and its former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh challenging a Bombay supreme court direction for a CBI probe against him supported allegations of corruption leveled by former Mumbai commissioner Param Bir Singh.
A bench comprising Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Hemant Gupta observed that the character of allegations and other people involved within the case needs an inquiry by an agency .
“Allegations are serious, the house minister and commissioner are involved. They’re closely working together till they disintegrate , both holding a specific position,” Live Law quoted the bench as saying.
Senior advocate and Congress leader Kapil Sibal, appearing for Deshmukh, said allegations against his client are only “hearsay” and have “no evidentiary value”. He insisted that Deshmukh should are heard before the supreme court passed the order for CBI inquiry.
To this, the bench said it’s only a preliminary enquiry and zip is wrong in it when serious allegations are made by a senior officer against a senior minister. “It wasn’t your (Deshmukh) enemy, who made the allegations against you but it had been done by the one who was almost your chief assistant (Param Bir Singh).”
