Extortion Row: Inquiry Panel Issues Bailable Warrant Against Param Bir Singh

An inquiry commission headed by a retired High Court Judge, on Tuesday, issued a bailable warrant against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh for not appearing before it in a case related to corruption charges levelled by him against Maharashtra's former Home Minister, Anil Deshmukh.

The Maharashtra government in March this year formed a one-member commission of Justice (retired) Kailash Uttamchand Chandiwal to conduct a probe into corruption allegations leveled by Singh. The inquiry commission has issued a bailable warrant against the senior officer as he did not appear before it despite summons issued against him multiple times.

"The Commission had issued summons to Singh multiple times to appear before it, but he failed to do so, Hence, the panel issued a bailable warrant against him," a government lawyer said. Earlier, the commission had thrice imposed fines upon Singh - Rs 5,000 in June and Rs 25,000 on two occasions last month - for failing to appear before it.

Days after he was shunted out as Mumbai police commissioner and transferred to the Home Guards in March, Singh in a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray accused Anil Desmukh of giving targets to police officials, including dismissed cop Sachin Vaze, to collect Rs100 crore from bar, restaurant owners, hookah parlours and other business establishments.

Anil Deshmukh, an NCP leader who resigned from the post of state Home Minister in April, had denied the allegations. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) are probing the allegations made against Deshmukh by the senior IPS officer.

Singh is facing four FIRs, two each in Mumbai and Thane. The latest FIR was filed by the Thane police on August 21 based upon a complaint filed by a businessman accusing Singh of extortion. Thane police has issued a lookout notice against Singh to prevent him from leaving the country.

The entire controversy erupted after the arrest of Sachin Vaze, Assistant Sub Inspector of Mumbai Police, for allegedly planting an SUV with explosives outside Mukesh Ambani's resident Antilia, in Mumbai. He was arrested by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and later dismissed by the Maharashtra Government.

With PTI inputs