Had no secret meeting with Sachin Waze, says Param Bir Singh

Rubbishing the allegation that he held a secret meeting with dismissed officer Sachin Waze during his appearance before the Chandiwal Commission former city commissioner of police CP Param Bir Singh on Thursday told midday that such news has been spread to malign his imagePolice on Monday launched an enquiry against the duo who they claimed had an hourlong chat in violation of Wazes judicial custody Courts permission is required to meet an accused in judicial custody an officer had said earlierldquoI went to a room which is next to the office of Chandiwal Commission in Fort and was having a discussion with my lawyers regarding some affidavits that were supposed to be filed A notary was also present with us While we were talking in one corner of the room Waze his legal team as well as a police escort team entered the room Waze and his lawyers were having their own discussion There is absolutely no question of having any secret meeting as it was an open room and many lawyers were constantly coming in and going outrdquo Singh told middaySingh had appeared before the Chandiwal Commission probing his corruption allegations against former state home minister Anil Deshmukh seeking cancellation of his nonbailable warrant His lawyer had also filed a pursis written statement before the commission stating that no such meetings took place between the twoldquoIt is true that no secret meetings happened between my client and Waze I was there and had discussions with him along with another senior lawyer We filed a pursis before the commission to bring it on record of the court but withdrew it as the commission said it would lead to the further inquiries My client was not alone for even a second as he faces a serious threat to his liferdquo Singhs lawyer Anukul Seth told middayMumbai police have already initiated an enquiry into the alleged meeting and recorded the statement of Wazersquos escort team from Taloja Jail as it was their responsibility to ensure that no outsiders meet Waze except his lawyer and the people who were allowed by the court City police found lapses on the part of the escort team and submitted to Navi Mumbai police commissioner a default report against its incharge It has asked for an action and suggested that the commissioner conduct an independent probeState suspends Param Bir Singh for lapsesThe state government on Thursday suspended former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh who was posted as the DirectorGeneral Home Guard citing lapses Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray cleared the order based on a report submitted by Secretary Planning Debashish Chakravarty who now holds the additional charge of the chief secretaryThe suspension order points to ldquounauthorised absence from dutyrdquo and certain ldquoirregularitiesrdquo by Singh While he will be paid benefits like subsistence allowance and dearness allowance he is not allowed to take up any other jobSinghrsquos headquarters will be the office of the Director General of Police and he ldquoshall not leave the said headquarter without obtaining the permission of the Director General of Police Maharashtra State Mumbairdquo The missive also says ldquoIt shall not be permissible for him Singh to accept any private employment or engage in any other trade or business during suspension Any breach of this condition shall be treated as an act of misconduct rendering him liable for disciplinary actionrdquoSingh apart Parag Manere posted as the SP of the excise department in Nagpur has also been suspended as he has been named in two extortion cases He was the DCP crime in Thane when Singh headed the forceMeanwhile a court has cancelled an order that had declared Singh an absconder Faizan Khan