Sachin Waze reported to Param Bir Singh - confidential report

API Sachin Waze. File pic/PTI; (right) Param Bir Singh. Pic/Ashish Raje

The Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Hemant Nagrale recently submitted a confidential report to the state government about arrested API Sachin Waze. It states that Waze directly reported to former commissioner of police Param Bir Singh and was posted at CIU by Singh, overruling the objections of then joint commissioner of crime, Santosh Rastogi.

The report also claims that Waze was reinstated by Singh after 17 years of suspension. The report was prepared following the arrest of Waze in the Mukesh Ambani bomb scare case and submitted to the home department.

According to the report, the decision to reinstate Waze was taken on June 5, 2020 in a review meeting headed by Singh, then joint commissioner of police (administration), additional commissioner of police (Arms Forces) and deputy commissioner (Mantralaya and security). Along with Waze, 57 officers were also reinstated, citing shortage of manpower due to pandemic last year in June.

The report also said that Waze never reported to any officer of the crime branch during his nine months tenure (June 10, 2020 to March 12, 2021). No officer of the crime branch gave any review opinion/directions in the investigations handled by him because he directly reported about the same to then commissioner. Waze's subordinates at CIU were also asked not to report to their immediate bosses.

The report also states that Waze handled all important cases such as TRP manipulation, dual car registration racket of Dilip Chhabaria, and planting of the explosives laden SUV outside Ambani's residence, etc. Waze directly briefed Singh about all cases bypassing his superiors. As per protocol, an officer probing any case briefs the assistant, deputy, additional and joint commissioners of police.