"Anil Deshmukh and Minister Anil Parab Asked Me to Extort Over Rs 100 Crore": Sachin Waze Writes In A Letter To NIA Court

Suspended API Sachin Waze has accused former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and Cabinet Minister Anil Parab of asking him to extort over 100 crores according to a statement he tried submitting to the Special NIA Court, on Wednesday. Special Judge P Sitre refused to take the document on record and instead asked him to "follow proper procedures." The Judge then extended his NIA custody till April 9. According to the letter, which is not on the court's record, NCP Sharad President Sharad Pawar was against Waze's reinstatement to the force and wanted him suspended again. Anil Deshmukh allegedly asked Waze for Rs 2 crores regarding the issue. "The Hon'ble Home Minister Sir (Anil Deshmukh) also told me that he will convince Pawar saheb and for that purpose, he asked me to pay Rs 2 crores. I had expressed my inability to pay such an amount. On this, the home minister asked me to pay it in a later course." Waze's handwritten statement backs the allegations made by ex- Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh in his letter to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray dated March 20. The letter claimed that Deshmukh had asked Waze to extort Rs. 3-4 lakhs from 1750 bars and restaurants in Mumbai. Excerpts "In January 2021 I was called by the Hon Home Minister Anil Deshmukh at his official bungalow Dyaneshwar. PA Mr. Kundan was present there. The Hon. Minister Anil Deshmukh told me that there are approximately 1650 bars and restaurants in Mumbai and told me to collect Rs. 3 to 3.5 lakhs each from these for him. On this I told the Hon. HM Sir that as far as I know there would be about 200 bars and not 1650 as he was anticipating." "I also told the Hon HM I would not be in a position to collect any amount from any such bar for him as it was beyond scope of my capabilities. Immediately after coming out of his chamber his PA Kundan advised me that I must comply with the instructions of the Hon HM sir if I wish to keep my job and post intact. I still refused. That immediately after the meeting I narrated the happenings to the Hon. CP sir." The document finally states that when he informed then Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh about his apprehensions of being embroiled in a false case, the CP told him not to get involved in the illegal collection. Allegations against State Transport Minister and Shiv Sena Leader Anil Parab Waze claimed that Parab met him in July-August 2020 and call the trustees of the Saifee Burhani Upliftment Trust (SBUT), undertaking the biggest cluster redevelopment in South Mumbai for negotiation in a preliminary inquiry ongoing against the trust. "In July-August 2020, I was called by Minister Anil Parab at his official bungalow...At the meeting, Parab asked me to look into the complaint under preliminary inquiry and asked me to bring the trustees of the SBUT to him for negotiations about the inquiry. He also insisted to initiate primary talks to get Rs 50 crores from SBUT in order to close the said enquiry. I had expressed my inability to do any such thing as I do not know anybody from SBUT and also I did not have any control over the inquiry." He further claimed that in January 2021, and asked him to look into the issue of fraudulent BMC contractors and collect at least 2 crore from 50 such contractors. "An inquiry was on in this matter based on an anonymous complaint. The Crime Intelligence Unit inquiry against the contractors had not yielded any result," Waze has said. Anil Parab has refuted the claims to say, "I am ready to face any inquiry. This is a well planned conspiracy to defame the govt & CM Uddhav ji."Meanwhile the Special Court under the NIA Act allowed the Central Bureau of Investigation's application to question Waze in connection with the PE to probe corruption allegations against Maharashtra's former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

"Anil Deshmukh and Minister Anil Parab Asked Me to Extort Over Rs 100 Crore": Sachin Waze Writes In A Letter To NIA Court

Sharmeen Hakim

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