'Delhi lobby' was upset with Mumbai's ex-police chief: Shiv Sena
Mumbai: Two days after Param Bir Singh was shunted out from the post of Mumbai police commissioner, the Shiv Sena on Friday defended him saying that his transfer does not make him a criminal, and alleged that a "particular lobby in Delhi" was upset with him as the TRP scam came to light during his tenure.
The ruling party in Maharashtra also questioned the move of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) taking over the probe into the explosives-laden SUV found parked near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's house last month, saying that the agency generally investigates terrorism-related cases, but there was no terror angle involved in this episode.
The Maharashtra government on Wednesday transferred Singh, who was under fire over handling of the Ambani-SUV case, and appointed senior IPS officer Hemant Nagrale in his place.
"A vehicle containing 20 gelatin sticks was found on Mumbai's Carmichael Road, which has triggered blasts in the state politics and administration in the last few days. Param Bir Singh was removed as Mumbai police commissioner and senior officer Hemant Nagrale was appointed in his place. These are not routine transfers," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
The explosives-laden SUV found near Ambani's house and the suspicious death of Mansukh Hiran, who was in possession of the vehicle, are worrisome. The opposition BJP has raised some questions over it, but while the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was probing the Hiran death case, the NIA took over the investigation (into the vehicle found near Ambani's house), it said.
Hope its motive is not to malign the state government, it added.
"The NIA generally probes terrorism-related cases. But there is no terror angle involved in this case and still it stepped in. However, the outcome of the agency's probe into the terror attacks of Uri, Pathankot and Pulwama is still a mystery. The 20 gelatin sticks found in Mumbai appears to be a big challenge for the NIA," the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.
It said that Param Bir Singh had taken over as Mumbai police chief during the difficult time of coronavirus pandemic and boosted the morale of the police force.
"During his tenure, the television rating points (TRP) scam came to light. A particular lobby in Delhi was upset with him over that," it said.
Now, Singh has been transferred, but it does not make him a criminal, the party added. It also accused the opposition of politicising the death of Hiran and lowering the morale of the state police.
"At least considering the prevailing situation, no one should commit such a sin. If the opposition feels it can gain power through such means, it is wrong," the Sena said.
The opposition seeks to know the political bosses in the Hiran case, it said, adding that they should themselves find it out. "There are no political bosses in such cases.
This is not the culture of Maharashtra," it said.
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Court allows 5-day police custody of Bibhav Kumar in Swati Maliwal assault case
New Delhi (PTI): A Delhi court allowed five-day custodial interrogation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's aide Bibhav Kumar in the Swati Maliwal assault case, sing the police remand was a "necessity" in the matter.
Metropolitan Magistrate Gaurav Goyal was hearing the application of Delhi Police which was represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Atul Srivastava. The police had sought seven day custody.
It is alleged that Kumar, who is Kejriwal's personal assistant, assaulted AAP MP Swati Maliwal at the CM's residence on May 13.
"Considering the submissions made on behalf of both the parties, I find there is a necessity of police custody remand in the present case. Accordingly, the application moved by the investigating officer (IO) is partly allowed and the accused is remanded to police custody for five days," the court said in its order passed around 12:45 AM Sunday.
It noted the prosecution's submissions about the need to take Kumar to Mumbai and other parts of the national capital to collect evidence, which was not possible without the accused's custody.
"Admittedly, the case is at a nascent stage. Allegations made in the FIR are corroborated in her (Maliwal's) statement recorded by the magistrate on oath and further, it is again corroborated in the medico-legal case (MLC) of the victim or complainant," the court said.
The magistrate also observed, "I am aware of the view of constitutional courts that the opportunity must be given to the investigating agency to complete the investigation in order to reach the truth of the matter but at the same time the rights of the accused are also to be protected."
Asking the Investigating Officer to take Kumar into formal custody, the court directed his medical examination every 24 hours and said the investigating agency would not subject the accused to "any torture."
It also allowed Kumar to meet his advocate and wife for half an hour each during the police custody.
Kumar's application for providing requisite medicines was also allowed.
The proceedings which commenced around 9: 15 PM Saturday saw initial arguments by Srivastava following which the magistrate said, "I find force in the arguments of the APP (Additional Public Prosecutor) that there were sufficient grounds to arrest the accused without notice."
The prosecutor made several arguments, including those mentioned in the remand application and also that the "means or weapon" by which Kumar assaulted Maliwal had to be recovered.
The vehement counter-arguments by Kumar's counsels continued for more than one-and-a-half hours. One of his counsels, Rajiv Mohan, claimed that Maliwal had lodged the FIR "belatedly after deliberation and concoction."
The Delhi Police arrested Kumar earlier on Saturday and his anticipatory bail plea was subsequently observed as becoming "infructuous" by a Delhi court.
