Ex-Mumbai Police chief missing since October appears at Mumbai Crime Branch

Mumbai: Former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh on Thursday morning appeared before the crime branch of the Mumbai Police, which is probing an extortion case against him. The IPS officer, who was earlier declared a proclaimed offender by a Mumbai court, had been missing since October.

“I will join the investigation as directed by the court,” Singh told reporters soon after he arrived in Mumbai. On Wednesday, the IPS officer, who is facing several extortion cases in Maharashtra, had said that he was in Chandigarh.

Following the order by the court, notices were pasted outside Singh’s known addresses and printed in newspapers, directing him to appear before the investigating officer within 30 days.

“If he had failed to do so, the investigators could have started the process of attaching Singh’s properties,” said an officer.

Singh was posted as the Director General (Home Guards) after his removal from the post of Mumbai Police chief in March following the Ambani terror scare case and the allegations of corruption raised by him against then state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.

The Supreme Court on Monday granted him protection from arrest after his counsel informed the court that “he is very much in India but apprehends actions being taken by the state of Maharashtra”.

In May, Singh went on medical leave and has not reported for duty since. Apart from the non-bailable warrant issued in this case from Goregaon, there are two other warrants issued against Singh in connection with other alleged extortion cases registered in Marine Drive and Thane.

The case at Goregaon police station was registered on August 20, on a complaint filed by a hotelier and civic contractor as he alleged that Singh, dismissed Assistant Inspector Sachin Waze, and the other accused, extorted cash and valuables worth Rs 11.92 lakh from him.

A senior IPS officer under the condition of anonymity said, “He has appeared before prior intimation and they are yet to decide any future course of action as he already has protection against arrest from the Supreme Court.”

Currently, in Maharashtra, there are five cases of extortion registered against Singh. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has started two open inquiries against him. Also three non bailable warrants have been issued by the courts.