‘Very disturbing scenario in Mah where ex-Police chief has no faith in own force’
   Date :12-Jan-2022

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NEW DELHI :
 
The top court refuses to extend protection from arrest to Param Bir Singh 
 
IT IS a “very disturbing” scenario in Maharashtra where former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh does not have faith in his own force and the State Government has no faith in the CBI, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. A bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and M M Sundresh made this observation after the counsel for the former police chief submitted that the State Police was trying to corner him in departmental cases. The top court, which refused to extend protection from arrest to Singh, said: “This is the same police which you headed for so much of time. What do we say that head of police force doesn’t have any trust in the police force, State Government has no faith in the CBI. Look at the scenario which is being painted. It is a very disturbing scenario for us.
 
We can’t resolve it peacefully. “The State Government doesn’t think it appropriate for CBI to look into it and they filed a plea regarding this in Bombay High Court which they lost. Now the matter is in the Supreme Court. We do not know what will be the view of the concerned bench here. We have given you enough protection, we are not giving any more protection,” the bench said. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the CBI, expressed apprehension that the State Government may take steps which could make its task difficult in concluding the probe. He told the bench that an affidavit has been filed by CBI in the matter and it is ready to take over the probe in one of the criminal cases lodged by Maharashtra Police against Singh. Senior advocate Puneet Bali, appearing for Singh, contended that the former Mumbai Police Commissioner is being targeted and the State Government is trying to scuttle the probe in the CBI matter.
 
The top court, however, remarked, “Nobody is holier-than-thou in this whole scenario. When things go fine everybody gets along, when things don’t go fine everybody is getting at each other.” Senior advocate Darius Kambatta, appearing for Maharashtra, informed the bench that the State Government has filed an appeal against the Bombay High Court order dismissing its plea to hand over the investigation into the ‘cash-for-transfer’ allegations against Deshmukh from the CBI to a special investigation team. The top court has now posted the matter for hearing on February 22.