‘ADG Singh held press briefing on CM’s instructions’

Mumbai: The Bombay high court has passed strictures against additional director general Parambir Singh for holding a press conference and revealing details of the Bhima-Koregaon investigation. However, sources said that the home department has not taken any action against Singh as the latter held the press briefing after receiving instructions from chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.

ADG Singh on August 31 defended the Pune police’s nationwide crackdown and arrest of five left-wing activists on August 28. He claimed that there was “conclusive proof” that the arrested activists had links with naxal groups. “The investigation revealed a conspiracy being plotted by Maoist organisations. He stated that a letter exchanged by an arrested activist spoke of planning a “Rajiv Gandhi-like incident to end Modi raj”.

However, a division bench of Justice S.S. Shinde and Justice Mridula Bhatkar of the Bombay HC on September 3 came down heavily on the Maharashtra police for holding a press conference even though the matter was sub-judice and still under investigation.