The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it was “disturbing scenario” that former Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh did not trust the force he once led, reported Live Law.
“This is the same police force that you headed,” the court said while hearing Singh’s petition seeking that his protection from arrest be extended. “Now, what do we say, the head of the police force has no trust in the police force, the administration has no trust in the police. This is a disturbing scenario.”
Five cases of extortion have been filed against Singh. On December 6, the Supreme Court had extended the protection of arrest granted to him till Tuesday.
The bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh refused to extend the protection granted to Singh. “We have given you enough protection, we are not giving any more protection,” said the bench.
Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation has told the court that the allegations against Singh were overlapping with its inquiry into the case of corruption against former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. In view of this, the central agency said in an affidavit that it should investigate the cases against Singh.
The CBI had filed the affidavit on the court’s order seeking its views of taking up the investigation into the allegations against the former police chief.
Senior Advocate Puneet Bali, appearing for Singh, pushed for an independent investigation into the cases against the former police chief.
Senior Advocate Darius Khambata, representing the Maharashtra government, told the court there were ample reasons for which it would not be appropriate to handover the investigation to the CBI.
“I was never given the list, the nature of charges, the status of investigation and none of them have anything to do against the CBI investigation of the former home minister,” he argued. “The CBI affidavit only says that one of the FIRs may have an overlapping effect.”
Khambata also said that it has moved the Bombay High Court seeking directions to set up a Special Investigation Team, which would investigate the allegations against Singh.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the CBI, said that he apprehended a coverup by the state police and sought an early hearing.
The court adjourned the hearing and will now take it up on February 22.
In March, Singh had alleged that Deshmukh extorted money from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. In the last hearing, Singh’s lawyer had told the Supreme Court that he needed protection as he had shown the courage to speak out against Deshmukh.
But the Maharashtra government had said Singh could not be considered a whistleblower because he made the accusations only after he was removed as the police commissioner of Mumbai.
After his removal from the post, Singh was made the director-general of the Maharashtra Home Guard. He was suspended from service in December after he did not show up for duty for six months.
The former police officer had gone missing in October, following which he was declared a proclaimed offender. He had reappeared in November to be questioned by Crime Branch officers in one of the extortion cases against him.
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