The Supreme Court Thursday made it abundantly clear that it will neither hear the plea nor grant protection from arrest to former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh until his whereabouts are revealed. Asking the absconding cop’s counsel to first disclose his location, the apex court said, “no protection, no hearing”, until he informs it of his current location, whether he is in India or in hiding abroad.
Param Bir Singh, who is currently posted as Director General (DG) of Maharashtra Home Guard, has at least five criminal charges pending against him in Maharashtra, as well as many non-bailable warrants in the Goregaon extortion case. He has been untraceable since May, when he went on a leave citing health reasons.
Taking exception that Singh’s plea seeking protection has been filed through power of attorney, SC bench headed by Justice S K Kaul, also comprising of Justice M M Sundresh said today, “You are seeking protective orders; nobody knows where you are. Suppose you are sitting abroad and taking legal recourse through power of attorney then what happens. If that is so then you will come to India if the court rules in your favour, we don’t know what you have in mind. No protection, no hearing until we know where you are,” said the bench.
“The petition has been filed through power of attorney. Where are you? Are you in this country or outside? In some states, where are you? We will come to the remaining, first, we know where are you?” the bench added.
After the counsel for Param Bir Singh sought time before the bench to get instructions, the SC posted the matter for hearing on November 22.
Param Bir Singh declared proclaimed offender by Mumbai Court
It is pertinent to note here that yesterday (November 17, Wednesday), a magistrate court had declared Param Bir Singh a “proclaimed offender” on the basis of an application filed by the Mumbai Police, which is investigating the Goregaon extortion case against the former police commissioner.
Following the court order, the police can now designate Singh as a wanted person and initiate a process to declare him an absconder.
The court passed a proclamation to declare former Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh an ‘absconder’ if he does not respond to the summons in 30 days. As per rules, if he is declared an ‘absconder’, Singh’s properties may be seized and subsequently auctioned and he would not be able to avail of legal remedies.
Former Mumbai top cop goes missing, Maharashtra govt initiates procedure to declare him ‘absconder’
Param Bir Singh was removed from his Mumbai Police Commissioner post in March this year, and was appointed as Director General (DG) of Maharashtra Home Guard. Soon after the transfer, he had written a letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray where he made serious corruption charges against state home minister Anil Deshmukh. Subsequently, several cases were lodged against him by several businessmen, accusing him of extorting money from them.
Singh was last seen in public on April 7, when he went before the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in this city to record his statement in connection with the Antilia bomb scare case. His statement in the Deshmukh case was also recorded by the CBI.
He last attended office on May 4. After that, he had gone on leave, and then went ‘missing’, with police unable to locate him.