MUMBAI: Former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh has moved the Bombay high court challenging the order of a one-member inquiry committee summoning him to appear before it on August 6.
Justice (retd) K U Chandiwal was appointed to probe allegations of corruption and malpractices against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh on Singh’s March 20 letter to the chief minister. Singh’s petition said that the HC, on April 5, while rejecting Deshmukh’s petition to quash CBI inquiry against him, held that prima facie a cognisable offence has been made out against him. The CBI was directed to conduct a preliminary inquiry noting there are serious allegations against him. The Supreme Court upheld the HC order.
Singh’s petition said the scope of the inquiry committee was adjudicated by the high court and Supreme Court and questions whether the committee can continue with its inquiry. Stating that he cannot be compelled to depose before the committee and face cross-examination, Singh urged the HC to declare that the committee’s scope is adjudicated and nothing survives for inquiry. Among interim reliefs, he has sought stay on the proceedings before the committee and on the summons for deposition and cross-examination.
