A twist in the Antilia case,Parambir Singh named as the ‘mastermind’ not the accused: Deshmukh
Former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday questioned why former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh was not named as an accused in the Antilia bombing plot despite the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigations naming him as the ‘mastermind’ of the conspiracy.
Posting on the social media platform X, Anil Deshmukh asked why Singh was not included in the list of accused when the NIA, which investigated the case, also concluded about his role.
Deshmukh claimed that he removed him from his post as Mumbai Police Commissioner only after the Maharashtra ATS investigation revealed his alleged role. This case related to the discovery of an SUV laden with explosives outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s Mumbai residence, Antilia.
How did the ₹100 crore extortion allegation come to light?
Deshmukh alleges that after being removed from his post, Parambir Singh, out of vengeance, made the allegation that he had instructed police officers to extort ₹100 crore monthly from bars and restaurants.
The former Home Minister said that when the investigation into the Antilia case was transferred from the ATS to the NIA, the central agency’s investigation also named Parambir Singh as the alleged mastermind of the entire conspiracy. He claimed that the conspiracy was hatched in the office of the then Mumbai Police Commissioner.
According to Deshmukh, statements from several officers in the Mumbai Police Commissioner’s office also revealed facts that point to Parambir Singh’s alleged role.
Deshmukh claimed that during the hearing of an accused’s bail plea in the Bombay High Court, Justice Revati Mohite Dere had also asked the NIA why Parambir Singh was not named as an accused when such facts had emerged during the investigation.
Deshmukh said, “When Parambir Singh’s alleged role was revealed in the investigations conducted by both the ATS and the NIA, statements of several officers were recorded, and the High Court also raised questions, then why did the NIA not name him as an accused?”
This case dates back to February 25, 2021, when an SUV laden with explosives was recovered outside industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s South Mumbai residence, Antilia. The initial investigation was conducted by the Maharashtra ATS, but the case was later handed over to the NIA.
On Saturday, a special NIA court in Mumbai framed charges against 10 accused in the Antilia bombing and the murder of businessman Mansukh Hiran. These include former police officers Sachin Vaze, Pradeep Sharma, Riyazuddin Kazi, Sunil Mane, and Vinayak Shinde, along with Anand Jadhav, Satish Tirupati Mothkuri, Manish Vasantbhai Soni, Naresh Gaur, and Santosh Shelar. Kazi, Mane, and Shinde are also former police officers.