Maha govt initiates process to suspend Param Bir Singh over extortion cases

Mumbai, Nov 13: The process to suspend former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh and another police officer accused in extortion cases have been started by the Maharashtra government, an official said on Saturday.

Following a proposal sent by the Director-General of Police (DGP) to the state home department a few days ago, the government has initiated the process, he said.

Although the proposal was sent by the DGP Sanjay Pandey in September, the home department had sought specific information about the role of each accused officer.

The DGP's office sent a fresh proposal this week, the home department official said.

On Wednesday, a magistrate's court issued a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against Singh in connection with the extortion case registered at Marine Drive police station by real estate developer Shyamsunder Agrawal. It was the third NBW issued against Singh courts issued warrants in extortion cases filed against him in Goregaon in Mumbai and in neighbouring Thane.

After assistant police inspector Sachin Waze (now dismissed) was arrested for planting explosives in a vehicle near Mukesh Ambani's residence, and subsequent death of businessman Mansukh Hiran, the IPS officer was shunted out from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March this year.

Singh subsequently accused then state home minister Anil Deshmukh of asking police officials to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in Mumbai. This forced Deshmukh to resign as the Home Minister and now facing CBI probe. PTI