EX-MUMBAI CP PARAM BIR SINGH BOOKED FOR EXTORTION

Extortion charges have now been filed against former Mumbai Police Commissioner and current Maharashtra DG home guard Param Bir Singh. On Thursday, a new First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the former top cop of Mumbai. The Marine Drive Police Station has registered a case following a complaint lodged by a businessman. This time, he was booked after a builder filed a complaint stating that a top IPS officer sought Rs 15 crore from him through a DCP and four other police officers. Mumbai Police have so far arrested two persons in the case. Singh is accused of extortion, along with Mumbai police’s DCP Akbar Pathan who has also been booked by Mumbai police.

Based on the builder’s complaint, the case was registered at the Marine Drive police station in south Mumbai, he said, without specifying more details. Two of the builder’s partners, Sunil Jain and Sanjay Punamia, have been arrested in the case, he said.

According to the complaint, Jain and Punamia had conspired with police officials and demanded Rs.15 crores from the builder to withdraw some cases against him, he said.

The five other cops accused in the case are— DCP (crime branch) Akbar Pathan, inspector Shrikant Shinde, Asha Korke, Nandkumar Gopale, and Sanjay Patil, the official said. Two of the builder’s partners, Sunil Jain and Sanjay Punamia, have been arrested in the case, he said. According to the complaint, Jain and Punamia had conspired with police officials and demanded Rs 15 crore from the builder to withdraw some cases against him, he said.

Singh and other accused persons were booked under sections 387 (Putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt, in order to commit extortion), 388 (Extortion by threat of accusation of an offence punishable with death or imprisonment for life, etc), 389 (Putting person in fear of accusation of offence, in order to commit extortion), 403 (Dishonest misappropriation of property), 409 (Criminal breach of trust by a public servant, or by banker, merchant or agent), 420 (Cheating), (423 Dishonest or fraudulent execution of deed of transfer con­taining false statement of consideration), 464 (Making a false document), 465 (Punishment for forgery and others of Indian Penal Code). Two people have already been arrested in the case. Singh is facing multiple enquiries after he was shunted out from the Mumbai Police chief’s post in March 2021 for improperly handling the Antilia explosives scare case.