The Maharashtra Government led by Uddhav Thackeray has reportedly assured the court that former Commission of Mumbai police, Param Bir Singh, will not be arrested till May 20 in connection with the FIR registered against him, DCP Parag Manere, and 31 other police personnel under SC-ST Act based on a complaint by inspector Bhimrao Ghadge.
The Bombay High Court granted relief to the former police commissioner after the Maharashtra Government gave the assurance against arrest on a petition by Singh.
Senior counsel Darius Khambata, appearing for the Maharashtra government told the bench of Justices PB Varale and NR Borkar that the allegations of corruption levelled against the former Mumbai top cop, by a police inspector in Akola, were of serious nature. He said that the FIR was registered on April 30, after which the investigation into the case commenced. Owing to the seriousness of the matter, the police would need time to file an affidavit in response to Singh’s plea against the FIR, contended Khambata in court.
“Till that time, we (police) will not arrest the petitioner (Singh),” he said.
The bench accepted the statement and posted the matter for further hearing on May 20.
Param Bir Singh, in his plea filed last week, had sought quashing of the “malafide” criminal case filed against him on April 29 at the City Kotwali police station, Akola.
His counsel Mahesh Jethmalani on Thursday argued that the case was filed with malafide intentions and was abuse of powers by the police.
The case in which Param Bir Singh was slapped with SC/ST Act
Bhimrao Ghadge, who is now posted in the Akola police control room wrote a letter to the Chief Minister and Home Minister levelling serious corruption allegations against Param Bir Singh and the other officials.
Ghadge in his FIR alleged that Singh had asked him to not charge-sheet certain individuals against whom FIRs had been registered in a case. Upon refusal to partake in such illegal activities, Singh conspired with other officials and filed five false criminal cases and FIRs against him after which he was suspended.
Ghadge claimed it was all done to harass him just because he belongs to a backward caste.
The city Kotwali police in Akola has registered the FIR against 33 police personnel under 27 various sections ranging from criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence and sections of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities Act), 1989.
A Zero FIR (mode of lodging FIR in any police station irrespective of the offence committed in that area or any other area) had also been filed at the Kotwali police station which has later transferred to the Thane city police.