Maha CID to quiz Param Bir next week on 3 FIRs
MUMBAI : The state crime investigation department (CID) will question former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh next week in multiple rounds, as the agency is probing three separate first information reports (FIRs) against him. Singh is currently posted as the commandant general of Maharashtra home guards.
After hiding for months, the 1988-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer resurfaced in his hometown Chandigarh on Wednesday, two days after the Supreme Court gave him protection from arrest by Maharashtra Police and directed him to join investigations in the cases against him.
Singh will appear before investigators at CID’s regional office in CBD Belapur, Navi on Tuesday and Wednesday, sources said. CID had recently issued a notice to Singh, asking him to join the probe.
“Three investigation officers of the three cases will separately question Singh next week. The questioning may go on for two-three consecutive days,” said a senior CID officer, adding that they have prepared three separate questionnaires for Singh’s interrogation, which will be supervised by MN Jagtap, superintendent of police, CID, and CID chief Retesh Kumaarr.
One of the three cases was registered against Singh at Kalyan on April 28 on the basis of a complaint by serving inspecMumbai, tor Bhimrao Ghadge. The inspector has alleged that Singh, during his tenure as Thane Police commissioner, put pressure on him to drop corruption charges against three Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) commissioners and other civic officials.
The other two cases being investigated by CID are pertaining to the extortion complaints registered by Bhayander-based developer Shyamsunder Agrawal against Singh and some other police officers.
The first FIR based on Agarwal’s complaint was registered at Marine Drive police station, in which the builder had alleged that Singh and his subordinates extorted money from him at the behest of his former partner Sanjay Punamiya, by registering false cases against him.