Param Bir Singh leaves Thane Police Station after being grilled for over 8 hours

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh left the Thane Police Station on Friday after being grilled for over eight hours. The Court cancelled the non-bailable warrant against him after he appeared before them. The court directed him to cooperate with Thane Police in the investigation.

The court left him today with two conditions:

1) Personal bond surety of Rs 15,000

2) He has to be present whenever he is called by the investigating officers for probe

The Thane Police set up an SIT to probe an extortion case against Param Bir Singh. This is in connection with a complaint filed by businessman Ketan Tanna who accused Singh of extorting money from him and his friend Sonu Jalan during his posting as the Thane Police Commissioner. Last month, the Thane Sessions Court had issued a non-bailable warrant against him pertaining to this case. Earlier on Friday, he arrived at the Thane Nagar Police Station to join the investigation.

A DCP-level officer is investigating this case. As per sources, the recording of the former Mumbai top cop's statement might go until late evening. Moreover, sources told Republic Media Network that a notice can be issued to him to appear again depending upon the answers given by him today. 

Allegations against Anil Deshmukh

Param Bir Singh has also attracted ire for levelling allegations against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on 20 February. In a letter addressed to Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Singh alleged that the NCP leader had asked Sachin Vaze to extort Rs.100 crore per month from 1750 bars, restaurants, and other establishments in Mumbai. After the HC directed the CBI to carry out a preliminary inquiry into these allegations, Deshmukh resigned as the Home Minister was replaced by Dilip Walse Patil.

Moreover, the ED filed an ECIR against him on 11 May under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for allegedly obtaining illegal gratification which was based on the corruption case registered by the CBI. After skipping its summons on 5 occasions, he finally appeared before the ED at its Mumbai office on November 1 and was taken into custody in the wee hours of the next day. On 15 November, a special PMLA court in Mumbai remanded the NCP leader to judicial custody for 14 days. 

Reacting to Param Bir Singh's allegations, Maharashtra Congress president Nana Patole remarked, "The day on which Anil Deshmukh was remanded to custody, Param Bir Singh's lawyer said in the court that we have no proof regarding Rs.100 crore allegation. That means that Param Bir Singh made these allegations on someone's instructions. The BJP government at the Centre is trying to spread instability in Maharashtra". He added,  "Since the day the Maha Vikas Aghadi government was formed in Maharashtra, the Centre used Maharashtra as its political lab to accrue political benefits in UP and Bihar." 

Image: ANI