The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Monday 'examined' two former commissioners of Mumbai police, Param Bir Singh and Sanjay Pandey in a bribery case against the former Home Minister of Maharashtra, Anil Deshmukh.

A senior CBI official confirmed that former commissioners of Mumbai police were summoned to join the investigation in the case against Anil Deshmukh where he had been accused of asking policemen to collect Rs 100 crores illegally for him every month from bar owners in Mumbai.

"The former police heads joined the investigation at CBI headquarters in Delhi where they were examined for around five hours by two separate CBI teams. Later, they were allowed to go. If required they will be asked to join the investigation again," CBI official told ANI.

Earlier, Param Bir Singh had alleged that the then Maharashtra Police's Director General Sanjay Pandey asked him to take back his complaint against Anil Deshmukh and in return, he would settle inquiries against him.

Earlier, the Bombay High Court reserved the order pleas on Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh for permission to cast their votes for the MLC polls on June 20. A special PMLA court in Mumbai rejected the pleas filed by Nawab Malik and Anil Deshmukh seeking a day's bail to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.

A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been moved in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the Maharashtra government to sack cabinet ministers Nawab Malik, who is presently in judicial custody in connection with the case of money laundering.

Deshmukh and Malik are currently lodged in jail in connection with different money laundering cases being probed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED).

Deshmukh was arrested on November 1, 2021, in connection with extortion and money laundering allegations levelled against him by the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.