Fourth extortion FIR registered against Former Mumbai Top Cop Param Bir Singh

The Mumbai Police on Friday, 20 August, registered another First Information Report (FIR) against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on charges of extortion. An FIR was lodged against Param Bir Singh, dismissed cop Sachin Vaze and others at the Goregaon Police station last night. 

FIR against Param Bir Singh

The case was filed by a businessman named Bimal Agrawal. Agrawal in his complaint alleged that the accused in connivance with each other extorted Rs 11.92 lakhs by putting the fear of registering police cases against the complainant's hotel BOHO restaurant and BCB bar. 

After the complaint was filed by the businessman, Goregaon police station registered a case under sections 384, 385, and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against Param Bir Singh, Sachin Vaze, Sumeet Singh alias Chintu, Alpesh Patel, Vijay Singh alias Babalu, and Riyaz Bhati.

According to the police officials, accused Sumit Singh alias Chintu was arrested. Chintu used to collect money on behalf of Sachin Vaze from the hotel owners. 

On Wednesday, 18 August, an extortion case was registered against Param Bir Singh at the Marine Drive police station in Mumbai. The case has been transferred to Maharashtra police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID). On 22 July, Marine Drive police registered an FIR against Param Bir Singh, five other police personnel, and two more persons for allegedly demanding Rs 15 crores from a builder. 

Investigation reports

Considering the scope of the investigation into the extortion case filed at the Marine Drive police station, its probe has been transferred from the SIT to the state Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

The official said, "Only the Marine Drive case has been transferred to the state CID while the MCOCA case registered in Thane Nagar police station is still with SIT for investigation. The SIT is headed by a DCP-rank officer while an assistant commissioner of police (ACP)-the rank officer would be the chief investigation officer. The SIT will directly report to Mumbai Police chief Hemant Nagrale and joint commissioner of police, law, and order, Vishwas Nangre Patil."

Earlier on 18 August, the Maharashtra government had transferred the extortion case against ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh to the state's CID.

(Image credit: PTI)