Mumbai: The Bombay High Court recently dismissed a writ petition demanding a probe into the role of former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh in the Antilia bomb scare and the related Mansukh Hiran murder case.
A division bench comprising Justice Sunil Shukre and Justice Kamal Khata has held that the petition is based on ‘hearsay’ and does not ‘disclose commission of any cognizable offence’ or reasonable probability of commission of such an offence by Singh.
The petitioner, Parshuram Sharma had sought the court’s directions to the state to probe Singh’s role and claimed to have gathered information indicating the possible involvement of the former police commissioner in the cases.
Sharma had relied on certain previous observations of another bench to support his contentions, but the National Investigation Agency had questioned his locus standi claiming his plea was based on ‘hearsay’ evidence from the media reports.
The judges observed that the petitioner would need to show more circumstances that would convert his suspicion into a reasonable probability of Singh’s involvement in the crime.
Until and unless such material is available on record and within the knowledge of the person seeking action in the matter, it cannot warrant further probe by the police, and dismissed Sharma’s plea.
