The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed pleas filed by Maharashtra government and former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, both of which challenged a previous Bombay High Court order that directed a CBI probe into allegations of corruption levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, reported news agency ANI.

The Bombay High Court order issuing a CBI enquiry into the matter came on April 5.

Also read: Maharashtra moves SC over CBI probe against ex-minister Deshmukh

Supreme Court Justice SK Kaul batted for a CBI investigation, highlighting that the allegations brought forth were serious.

“Allegations are serious, the Home Minister and Police Commissioner are involved. They’re closely working together till they fall apart, both holding a particular position. Should CBI not probe? Nature of allegations and persons involved require independent probe”, ANI quoted Kaul as saying.

He further brought into light the fact that the allegation was brought forward by Param Bir Singh, someone he titled the former Home Minister’s ‘right hand man’.

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Deshmukh, on the other hand, was represented by Kapil Sibal.

Sibal, earlier on Thursday, had said that no preliminary enquiry could be done without Deshmukh being heard, while adding that everyone was supposed to be heard uniformly, including Singh, whose words, as per him, did not “become evidence”.