Supreme Court dismisses plea of Maharashtra's former home minister against CBI FIR

Aug 18, 2021

New Delhi [India], August 18 : In a setback to former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, the Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed his plea challenging a Bombay High Court order refusing to quash the CBI FIR in a corruption case registered over an allegation of corruption.
A Bench of Justices DY Chandrachud and MR Shah said, "Having considered the submissions, no case for interference is made out under Article 136. No error in the judgment of the High Court. This petition is dismissed."
Deshmukh's petition sought to quash the CBI's FIR against him that alleged corruption in a letter written by former Mumbai Police Commission Param Bir Singh to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray.
On July 22, the High Court had dismissed the plea of Deshmukh against the FIR registered by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on April 21 against him.
Earlier in the day, the Bench also dismissed the plea of the Maharashtra government challenging the Bombay High Court order of allowing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to investigate into the transfer and postings of cops by former Deshmukh.
The Maharashtra government had approached the top court seeking to set aside two paragraphs from CBI's corruption FIR against Deshmukh related to transfers and postings of police officers, and reinstatement of assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze.
The Bombay High Court on July 22 had said the CBI can inquire into the transfer and postings of police personnel and the reinstatement of Vaze in the Mumbai Police force so far as this has a nexus with Deshmukh and his associates.
The CBI had registered the case after a petition was filed in the Bombay High Court seeking a CBI probe into the corruption allegations levelled against Deshmukh by a former police commissioner that (now dismissed officer) Vaze was asked by Deshmukh to collect Rs 100 crore every month from Mumbai's bar and restaurant.
Deshmukh was booked under sections 120 B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and section 7 (public servant taking gratification other than legal remuneration in respect of an official act) of the Prevention of Corruption Act.