MUMBAI: A week after additional chief secretary Debashish Chakrabarty submitted an adverse report against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, now chief minister Uddhav Thackeray will decide his fate. Chakrabarty is believed to have recommended a departmental enquiry (DE) against Singh.
Chakrabarty confirmed that he has submitted the preliminary enquiry (PE) report. “Home department is now the custodian...the PE was limited only to fact-finding and it was limited to the specific terms of reference given by the home department. About DE regarding all India service officers, IAS and IPS, recommendations are made by their cadre controlling authorities,” Chakrabarty said in a text message.
While Chakrabarty did not comment on the findings in his report, according to sources, he has cited serious lapses and impropriety by Singh in discharging his duties as a police chief and in writing a letter directly to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray against the then home minister Anil Deshmukh.
There were a few issues before Chakrabarty: firstly, reinstatement of dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Waze; secondly, whether Singh's letter violated discipline and conduct rules; and whether key information regarding placing an explosive outside the residence of industrialist Mukesh Ambani was suppressed from the then home minister and the CM.
Initially, the home department had proposed that the PE be conducted by DGP Sanjay Pandey, but he declined, following which it was entrusted to Chakrabarty, a seasoned bureaucrat. Pandey had even recommended suspension of Singh, along with 24 other police officials for their alleged involvement in extortion cases. However, home minister Dilip Walse Patil asked the DGP to re-submit the file, along with more details and that each file should be submitted separately.
In the event, if the CM approves a proposal for a DE, then an official of the rank of DG or an independent inquiry officer will have to be appointed to probe charges against him.
Ever since the Chandiwal commission issued its first summons to Singh, he has failed to appear before the commission and the bailable warrant issued in his name too could not be served as he was not traceable. Now, the state CID and Thane Police have issued a lookout circular for tracing the controversial IPS official, who is due for retirement in June 2022.
