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What TV doesn't, print can't; we deliver.
MUMBAI: Param Bir Singh, the controversial Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of Maharashtra cadre, has been accused of destroying the mobile phone used by Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab during the 2008 Mumbai terror attack.
Shamsher Khan Pathan, a retired Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP), has written a letter to the Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale and the Home Minister of Maharashtra Dilip Valse Patil on July 24, 2021 and had alleged that “During 26/11 terror attacks, Param Bir Singh then posted as Deputy Inspector General (DIG) with the Anti -Terrorist Squad (ATS), had confiscated Ajmal Kasab’s phone and kept it with himself and also ensured that it was never available during the investigation and the subsequent trial.”
It was not immediately known whether Maharashtra government has initiated any probe against Param Bir Singh, DG Home Guards of Maharashtra, on the damning allegations of retired ACP Pathan or not.
Retired ACP Pathan has alleged that the phone used by terrorist Kasab was crucial evidence in the investigation since he was in constant touch with his handlers based in Pakistan and other terrorists who were part of the attack.
There was a strong possibility that Kasab had spoken to certain highly placed people within our country who were also part of the conspiracy. Since the said phone was never handed over to the Investigating Officer (IO), there was no mention of the mobile phone recovered from Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab during his trial
“Therefore, in such circumstances I have been taking details about the said developments from my counterpart Sr PI NR Mali and distinctly recollect all the said incidents minutely. I also recollect that soon thereafter during detailed discussions with my counterpart Sr PI NR Mali, there was a matter of concern for all of us. Sr PI NR Mali shared with me that the mobile phone of the terrorist Ajmal Kasab which the DIG (ATS) Parambir Singh took from the police hawaldar attached to DB Marg police station, was not further handed over by him to the concerned Investigating Officer (IO) PI Mahale attached to the Mumbai Crime Branch which was handling the investigation. We even discussed between ourselves that this matter assumes great significance as it is not just amounting destruction was one of the major pieces of evidence, but also clearly helping the cause of the said enemies of our nation i.e. said terrorists and their handlers from Pakistan who were constantly giving them instructions and guidance of what needs to be done further,” Pathan wrote in his letter.
He went on to add:
The said mobile phone must be having their contact numbers and names and perhaps the contact numbers and names of some influential persons within India too working hand in glove and in criminal conspiracy with the said terrorists and enemies of our nation. Had the said mobile phone given to the Mumbai Crime Branch tasked with investigation, then perhaps at that time they would have been in a position to gather more vital information since the co-terrorists of said Ajmal Kasab were still continuing their terrorist attack at different locations in the city of Mumbai by holding our citizens as hostages
ACP Pathan (retd) had mentioned that Sr PI NR Mali had confided with him that the matter was brought to the notice of then Additional Commissioner (South Region) Venkatesham who in turn asked him to approach DIG (ATS) Param Bir Singh himself and get the said mobile phone.
NR Mali who also retired as ACP had told Khan that when he went to meet the DIG (ATS) Param Bir Singh and requested him to handover the mobile phone of Kasab as that was vital piece of evidence, the DIG flew in a rage and threatened him of dire consequences if he dared to ask again. Unfortunately, the concerned Additional Commissioner Venkatesham did not take any interest in the recovery of the said phone. “Someway, it is inconceivable to even to imagine that said terrorist Ajmal Kasab would operate without even a mobile phone and thus it is clear that the IO PI Mahale was not handed over the said mobile phone as the important data therein further incriminating the enemies of our nation, within as well as from Pakistan, was purposefully destroyed by the then DIG (ATS) Param Bir Singh in criminal conspiracy with said enemies of our nation”.
Both ACPs, Khan and Mali (both retired) have taken the conscious decision not to remain quiet anymore even if Param Bir Singh has been elevated as Director General (Home Guards) of Maharashtra. “Accordingly, I have decided to bring this act of serious crime by DG Home Guards Param Bir Singh on record and lodge my formal complaint. Accordingly say that this is just not a simple case of destruction of evidence that is mobile phone found in possession of the terrorist Ajmal Kasab when he was arrested, but it cannot be denied that said mobile phone was being used by him for executing the terrorist attack on Mumbai city and for that purpose he was being guided by his handlers sitting in Pakistan. Naturally, therefore, when the then DIG (ATS) Param Bir Singh could lay his hands on it, he must have gone through the data and records therein and for his personal gains of varied nature, his chose to contact, negotiate and criminally conspire with the concerned perpetrators of said terrorist attack on our nation from Pakistan or perhaps even with certain influential persons within our country whose names and records must have got disclosed to him and therefore in order to prevent their identity from getting disclosed, at their behest he had destroyed the said vital piece of evidence,” Khan went on to allege in his letter addressed to the higher ups in Maharashtra government.
Param Bir Singh, who had served as Mumbai Police Commissioner has been in news for making sensational allegations against former Home Minister of Maharashtra Anil Deshmukh.
