Mumbai: Dismissed Mumbai policeman Sachin Vaze told the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that then Maharashtra Home minister Anil Deshmukh wanted Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami arrested in the Television Rating Points (TRP) scam case.
Vaze said Deshmukh had ensured that the former gets reinstated into the police force to carry out extortion activities and report to him about various cases including the one on TRP scam, according to the chargesheet ED filed against Deshmukh.
ED’s case was that when Deshmukh was Home minister, he directed Vaze to collect money amounting to Rs 4.7 crore from various restaurants and bars in Mumbai. Deshmukh allegedly transferred the extorted money to a Nagpur trust, controlled by his family members.
Vaze submitted to ED that he was reinstated – following a 15-year suspension — after shelling out Rs 2 crore, Bar and Bench reported. Thereafter, Deshmukh would call Vaze to his office or residence and instruct him about various cases including TRP scam case, Arnab arrest in suicide case, Dilip Chhabria case, social media fake follower case etc.
“In TRP case Shri Anil Deshmukh wanted to arrest Arnab Goswami. In Dilip Chhabria Case Shri Anil Deshmukh wanted me to get some kind of settlement with his partner of approx. Rs 150 crore. In Social Media Fake follower case, he wanted to have all-out action against the culprits,” Vaze said in a statement to the ED Assistant Director during the ongoing probe into money-laundering case initiated against Deshmukh and others.
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Vaze also submitted that then-Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had issued an order for postings of 10 DCPs which was opposed by Deshmukh and Transport minister Anil Parab, who allegedly got the order reversed and made around Rs 40 crore from police officers.
“Out of it, Rs 20 crore each was given to Anil Deshmukh through Personal Secretary Sanjeev Palande and Anil Parab through Regional Transport Officer Bajrang Karmate,” Vaze claimed.
The investigation against Deshmukh and his associates was initiated by ED after Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed an FIR following a court-directed enquiry into charges of corruption and misuse of official position.
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