Anil Deshmukh is accused of asking Sachin Waze to allegedly extort Rs 100 crore a month from Mumbai bars
Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh appeared before probe agency CBI today for questioning in connection with the allegations of corruption against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, an official said.
Anil Deshmukh reached the DRDO guest house in Mumbai's Santacruz, where a team of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is staying. He reached around 10 am, an official said.
The CBI on Monday issued a notice calling Mr Deshmukh to join the agency's probe into the allegations against him by Param Bir Singh and suspended police officer Sachin Waze, the official said.
Sachin Waze, an assistant police inspector, is under investigation in the case of an explosive-laden SUV found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's residence in south Mumbai.
The CBI is conducting a preliminary enquiry into the allegations against Anil Deshmukh by Mr Singh after he was removed from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner.
The allegations were reportedly corroborated by Sachin Waze in the custody of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting a probe into the SUV case, officials earlier said.
The Bombay High Court last week directed the CBI to conduct a preliminary inquiry into the allegations by Param Bir Singh against Anil Deshmukh.
In a letter, Mr Singh had claimed that Anil Deshmukh asked Sachin Waze to allegedly extort over Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai.
Anil Deshmukh has denied the allegations.
So far, the CBI has recorded statements of Param Bir Singh, Sachin Waze, Deputy Commissioner of Police Raju Bhujbal, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Patil, advocate Jayshree Patil and hotel owner Mahesh Shetty.
The CBI also questioned Anil Deshmukh's personal assistant Kundan Shinde and personal secretary Sanjeev Palande on Sunday.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)