Mumbai: The Supreme Court on Monday said that former top cop Param Bir Singh cannot be arrested in the criminal cases which are filed against him. Further said to the department, that it can continue to probe the allegations against him but can’t file any charge sheet against Param over allegations of misconduct and corruption.
The apex court has listed the matter for hearing next on January 11, 2022, and has asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to file its affidavit on the plea filed by Singh.
Param Bir Singh is facing allegations of running extortion rackets along with dismissed assistant police inspector Sachin Vaze. The crime branch has leveled the allegation on both of them of extorting money from the hoteliers and bar owners in Maharashtra and the state’s capital Mumbai.
After writing to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray leveling allegation on former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh directed crime branch officials to collect ₹100 crores every month from businessmen in Mumbai, Param absconded.
His letter to the chief minister came after his removal as the Mumbai Police commissioner. He was removed from office after explosives were found near Antilia, the residence of business tycoon Mukesh Ambani.
Sachin Vaze, who was arrested for allegedly planting those explosives and the murder of Mansukh Hiren, whose car was used for the operation, earlier said that he collected extortion money from hoteliers and bar owners at the behest of Param Bir Singh, whom he referred to as ‘number one.
Param Bir Singh appeared in a Mumbai court after absconding for more than six months. He returned to Mumbai to assist with the probe following the Supreme Court’s order which granted him interim protection from arrest.
The Maharashtra government last week removed him from the position of the director-general of Maharashtra Home Guard due to dereliction of duty.
There are five first information reports (FIRs) registered against him in Mumbai and Thane police stations between April 28 and August 20, 2021.
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