How can we trust central agencies, asks Sena editorial

Mumbai Days after the Supreme Court (SC) ordered transfer of all cases against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), Shiv Sena mouthpiece Saamana, on Saturday, expressed unhappiness and asked how could the judiciary and central agencies be trusted.

The editorial said that the judiciary should become the voice for the people and must come forward to protect democracy.

The apex court on Thursday transferred the investigation against Singh to the CBI. It directed the state to put the departmental proceedings against him on hold until the agency’s probe into the five FIRs transferred to it is complete.

The ruling Sena-led Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had expressed surprise at the order. Amid action by central investigation agencies against Sena and MVA leaders, the editorial said they were behaving like the extended family of the Bharatiya Janata Party.

“The scales of justice are shaking and truth is being strangled. In such a time, the court should be the voice of the people. The court has to come forward to keep democracy alive,” the editorial said and added, “Central investigative agencies and courts cannot hold themselves back as ‘slaves’ or ‘propagandists’ of a particular ideological family. The Indian Constitution does not give them such sanctions… It is now clear that the scale of justice in the hands of Delhi (Centre) is not real, but from chor bazaar (fake).”

The Mumbai police were probing cases of extortion, corruption and misconduct against the former top cop. Singh was removed from his post over the alleged mishandling of the Antilia bomb scare case.

“It was the state government that was investigating the heroic stories of Parambir Singh and was about to tighten the screws, when suddenly the case was handed over to the CBI. This distrust in the state police is shocking.” the editorial said.

It added that Singh was evading the law for months and it was because of his allegations, former home minister Anil Deshmukh is in jail and was asked to tender his resignation.

The editorial called the order the “biggest relief” for Singh. “The Mumbai police do not have to investigate them now, and they do not even have to touch them. Now that the entire case has been handed over to the CBI, the biggest relief has been provided to Param Bir Singh. ED, CBI, Income Tax etc. had jointly conducted more than two hundred raids on Anil Deshmukh, on the other hand, relief to Param Bir Singh. After seeing this, should the justice system and central investigative agencies be trusted?” it asked.