Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh who has been declared “absconding” by a Mumbai court, arrived at Crime Branch unit 11 office in Kandivali, Mumbai to join the investigation of the Goregaon extortion case, said police officials. “He has reached at Crime Branch unit 11 and he will record his statement in Goregaon extortion case,” said Milind Bharambe, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime).
After appearing before the crime branch in Mumbai, Param Bir Singh on Thursday said that he is cooperating in the investigation in a case of extortion and has “full faith” in the Supreme Court. Addressing the media after appearing before the crime branch, Singh said, “I have joined the investigation (in a case of extortion) today, as per the order of the Supreme Court. I am cooperating in the investigation and I have full faith in the court.”
Param Bir Singh on Monday told the Supreme Court that he is very much in the country and he is not absconding, and the top court granted him interim protection from arrest and directed him to join the investigation. Six cases of corruption and extortion were filed against Singh after he wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray levelling corruption and misconduct against the then Home Minister and senior NCP leader Anil Deshmukh. Singh, a 1988-batch IPS officer, was removed from the post of Mumbai Police Commissioner on 17 March and was made the General Commander of Maharashtra State Home Guard after he levelled allegations against Deshmukh.
Reacting to Singh’s submission in Supreme Court that there is a threat to his life in Maharashtra, Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik said, “It is surprising that a person who headed the force once, feared for his life from the same force. Even though he has got protection from arrest, no one is above law. He will be arrested, if there are some legal problems, those will be taken care of by the Maharashtra government.”
Nawab Malik on Thursday gave an undertaking before a division bench of Bombay High Court that he will not tweet against Mumbai NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede till the court hears the matter next on 9 December. This comes after the court reprimanded Nawab Malik for not approaching the caste scrutiny committee, but making allegations about Wankhede’s caste certificate in media.