Maharashtra ACB summons Virar builder over extortion plaint against cop Rajkumar Kothmire

In the latest development, the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has summoned Virar-based builder Mayuresh Raut on May 24 after he wrote a complaint alleging extortion by former Thane Police inspector Rajkumar Kothmire. The builder had alleged that two of his high-end four-wheelers (Mercedes Benz & Toyota Fortuner) were allegedly taken away from him by two inspectors who reportedly worked under then Thane Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh. As per sources, Mayuresh Raut had earlier written a complaint to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) accusing former Thane cop Rajkumar Kothimare, former encounter cop Pradeep Sharma & Param Bir Singh of illegally detaining him in November 2017.

In his complaint addressed to the DGP Anti-Corruption Bureau, Mayuresh Raut accused Kothmire of misusing his position and engaging in illegal activities such as extortion, contract killing in fake encounters, molestation of women to extort money from their husbands, accumulating illegal wealth, corruption and more. He accused Kothmire of misleading the govt by declaring himself as a farmer and alleged that he owned a company named XPRT Farmer producer Company Limited which comprised of a board of ten directors including his brother. 

CID records statements in probe against Param Bir Singh

The CID on Thursday recorded the statement of Police Inspector Bhimrao Ghadge, attached to the Akola Police Control Room, who had submitted a letter to the Maharashtra Chief Minister, Home Minister and Maharashtra Director General of Police (DGP) in connection with the serious and corruption allegations levelled against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.  Sources informed Republic that Bhimrao Ghadge had recorded his statement before the state CID for around two hours. Ghadge had provided the information to the CID about the FIR registered against 33 police officials including Param Bir Singh on his complaint letter given to the Chief Minister, Home Minister and Maharashtra DGP. He also informed how false cases were registered against him and a C-summary report was filed in a criminal case to benefit certain people while Param Bir Singh was Thane Police Commissioner from 2015-2018.

Another complainant Munnir Khan's statement was recorded before the CID for three-and-a-half hours and he reportedly stated that he had been falsely implicated in a case on the pretext of being present with Ketan Tanna while kidnapping Ritesh Shah at gunpoint on 22 January 2018. Along with his statement, Munnir Khan also reportedly submitted his passport with an immigration stamp copy and a High Court order which observed that the complainant was not present in India on 22 January 2018. As per sources, Munnir Khan has named Param Bir Singh, former encounter cop Pradeep Sharma, former Thane police cop Rajkumar Kothmire and three others in his statement to the Maharashtra CID. Further, the complainant claimed that Pradeep Sharma had extorted money via Bimal Agarwal who was arrested by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) in 2012, by the CBI in 2016 & by the ED in 2017. Munnir Khan claimed that Binay Agarwal had called him and had asked him to 'settle' the matter with Pradeep Sharma. 

After Sonu Jalan, Ketan Tanna named former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, alleging an extortion racket being run by the former top cop, before the Maharashtra Crime Investigation Department (CID). Tanna was present at Konkan Bhavan for nearly seven-and-a-half hours and is said to have submitted some key evidence against the former Mumbai CP. Ketan Tanna provided all the evidence before the state CID over the allegations made by police during Tanna’s arrest, stating that Tanna kidnapped complainant Ritesh Shah on 22nd January 2018. Tanna provided his Visa copy and passport copy with the Immigration stamp dated 22 January, the same date, before the State CID. On Tuesday, Ketan Tanna placed Key evidence including call recording between Tanna and Inspector Rajkumar Kothmire, call recording between Tanna and the complainant Ritesh Shah and other documents related to the case.

Bookie levels extortion allegations against Param Bir Singh

In his letter levelling allegations against ex-Mumbai Police CP, Sonu Jalan claimed that he was asked to cough up Rs 10 crore by Param Bir Singh, Pradeep Sharma and Raj Kumar Kothmire. He added that after negotiation, a settlement was done at Rs 3 crore. He further accused Singh and Sharma of 'illegal activities' and 'extorting many by threatening and pressuring them' and implicating them in false cases if they failed to pay huge amounts. Similarly, another bookie Ketan Tanna, alleged that no steps were taken against corrupt police officers because Param Bir Singh was shielding them.

Earlier this week, the Thane Police Commissioner had ordered the transfer of Inspector Rajkumar Kothmire - accused of extortion along with former Mumbai Police CP Param Bir Singh by a Cricket bookie - to Gadchiroli last Thursday. The development came after Republic accessed a letter penned by two bookies, Sonu Jalan and Ketan Tanna, who claimed that Param Bir Singh and his colleague & former encounter cop Pradeep Sharma had extorted them after falsely implicating them in betting cases. Jalan, an accused in the 2018 IPL betting racket, was arrested by then-Thane Commissioner Param Bir Singh in a Rs 45 lakh cricket betting case.

Maharashtra govt probes Param Bir Singh

Maharashtra govt has ordered two probes into Param Bir Singh - one pertaining to the Antilia bomb scare case and other in connection with the corruption allegations levelled by reinstated Police Inspector Anoop Dange. Claiming that Singh demanded Rs.2 crore for revoking his suspension, Dange accused him of saving some people with underworld connections when he was the DG of the Anti Corruption Bureau. The Bombay HC has refused to grant him interim protection urging him to approach the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) with his grievances. The petition will now be heard on June 9. Singh had accused ex-Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of asking Sachin Vaze to extort Rs.100 crore per month from 1750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai, leading to his transfer. Deshmukh has probes ongoing against him by the CBI and ED.