CBI files 5 FIRs & 3 Preliminary enquiries against ex-Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered three preliminary enquiries against former Mumbai Commissioner of Police Param Bir Singh. In total, five FIRs and three Preliminary Enquiries (PE) have been registered against the ex-top cop.

The CBI, which has taken over the probe into allegations against Param Bir Singh, has registered five separate FIRs. All these cases were previously registered by Mumbai Police. Last month, the Supreme Court directed the central agency to take over the cases.

In four cases, Singh has been booked for extortion. The fifth case is registered under the Prevention of Atrocities Act (PAA), in which the ex-Mumbai CP is accused along with 24 others.

Singh is facing multiple cases of extortion, corruption and misconduct, and was removed from the post of Mumbai Police chief over his alleged mishandling of the Antilia bomb scare case.

Complaint against Param Bir for allegedly ‘blackmailing’ businessman; extorting Rs 15 Cr

Last month, a complaint was filed against Param Bir Singh and officers of the Anti-Extortion Cell for blackmailing a businessman to the tune of Rs 15 crore. The complainant Hemant Banker has written to Mumbai CP Sanjay Pandey and claimed that his son Rupin was allegedly duped by a builder.

Abetting the 'illegal' case, Param Bir Singh had evoked the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, 1999 against the businessman's whole family after he refused to pay up an extortion amount of Rs 15 crore, the complainant alleged.

The complaint has claimed that after being implicated and given bail in a ‘false case’, Hemant Banker was called to the Crime Branch office numerous times to 'exert pressure on him'. “They (Mumbai Police) said that there is a lot of pressure on them that if you don’t settle, they will invoke MCOCA against him and his family. He started getting calls from people who seem to have very detailed information on the case from the Mumbai police and they said if they don’t pay Rs.15 crore, then MCOCA will definitely be invoked,” it alleged. 

The complainant stated that when they refused, the then Mumbai CP allegedly invoked MCOCA against Hemant and his wife Meenakshi and thereafter, summons were issued. 

Owing to the extortion lobby, Rupin was forced to leave for Dubai and Hemant was implicated in a false case, the complaint stated. Rupin has asked Mumbai Police to thoroughly investigate the cases in a fair and timely manner. He also requested the Mumbai CP to file an FIR against all accused persons in the case.

Image: PTI