Sachin Waze claims Anil Deshmukh asked him to extort money from bars

Sachin Waze. File Pic

Arrested Mumbai Police crime branch officer Sachin Waze has opened up a Pandora's Box for the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, accusing former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, Transport Minister Anil Parab and others of pressuring him to extort money from the contractors of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and illegal tobacco factories and bars in the city.

In a handwritten letter dated April 3, a copy of which has been viewed by IANS, Waze has claimed that NCP chief Sharad Pawar was against his reinstatement into Mumbai Police in 2020 and wanted it to be revoked. However, senior officials of the NIA remained tight-lipped on the authenticity of Waze's letter.

In the letter, Waze said that Deshmukh had told him that if he paid Rs 2 crore to him, "he would convince Pawar to allow him back into the force".

"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 wrote.

Waze further claimed that Deshmukh had called him to the Sahyadri Guest House in October 2020 and asked him to collect Rs 3-3.5 lakh each from 1,650 bars and restaurants in Mumbai.

"I refused by saying that it was not within the scope of my capability," Waze claimed in his letter, adding that as far he knew, there were only 200 bars in Mumbai and not 1,650, as anticipated by Deshmukh.

Waze also alleged that soon after he came out of the meeting with Deshmukh, his PA Kundan had advised him that he must comply with the instructions of the minister if he wished to keep his job and post intact.

Waze also said that Deshmukh made the same demand again in January 2021, when the two met at the former minister's official bungalow.

Waze in his letter also claimed that Maharashtra Transport Minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab had asked him to extort money for him.

"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 bring the trustees of the SBUT to him for negotiations about the inquiry. He also insisted to initiate primary talks to get Rs 50 crore 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," Waze told NIA in his letter.

Waze further claimed that Parab called him again in January 2021 and asked him to look into an inquiry against some contractors listed in the BMC and collect Rs 2 crore each from them.

"He told me to collect at least Rs 2 crore each 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 claimed in his letter.

Waze, who was arrested on March 13 in connection with the explosive-laden SUV found outside Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani's residence on February 25, said that he had informed the then Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh about the extortion demands made by Deshmukh and Parab.

"...I met the Police Commissioner (Param Bir Singh) and expressed my apprehension about this... I told him that I would be embroiled in a false controversy in the near future. The Commissioner encouraged me and categorically instructed me not to involve myself in any such illegal collection of money from anyone and for anyone," Waze wrote.

Waze is currently being investigated by the NIA in connection with the mysterious death of Mumbai-based businessman Mansukh Hiren, whose body was found from a Thane creek on March 5.

A Mumbai Court on Wednesday extended the remand of Waze till April 9.

After the cases related to the explosive-laden SUV and the death of Hiran exploded in Maharashtra, Singh was shunted out from the top cop's post and made the Commandant General of Home Guards.

After being shunted out as Mumbai Police Commissioner, Singh dropped a 'letter bomb' on March 20, accusing Deshmukh of asking Waze and other Mumbai police personnel to extort Rs 100 crore 'monthly' from bars, hotels and restaurants in the city.

Earlier in the day, Singh had appeared before the NIA in connection with the case.

The Bombay High Court on Monday ordered a CBI preliminary enquiry against Deshmukh. The court also asked the CBI to complete the probe within 15 days, following which the CBI registered a PE on Tuesday night. Two teams of the agency have already arrived here from Delhi.

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