Mumbai court declares IPS officer Param Bir Singh 'proclaimed offender' in extortion case

A magistrate's court in Mumbai on Wednesday declared former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh a "proclaimed offender" in an extortion case registered against him and other police officers in the city.

The crime branch of Mumbai Police, which is probing the case, had sought the proclamation, saying that the IPS officer could not be traced even after the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him.

Under section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, a court can publish a proclamation requiring an accused to appear if a warrant issued against him or her cannot be executed.

As per section 83, after issuing such a proclamation the court can also order attachment of the proclaimed offender's properties.

Former assistant police inspector Sachin Waze is also an accused in the case, registered at Goregaon police station in the city.

Besides Param Bir Singh, co-accused Vinay Singh and Riyaz Bhatti were also declared as proclaimed offender by additional chief metropolitan magistrate S B Bhajipale.

Bimal Agrawal, a real estate developer and hotelier, had alleged that the accused extorted Rs 9 lakh from him for not conducting raid on two bars and restaurants which he ran in partnership, and also forced him to buy two smartphones worth around Rs 2.92 lakh for them.

The incidents occurred between January 2020 and March 2021, he had claimed. Following his complaint, a case was filed under Indian Penal Code sections 384 and 385 (both pertaining to extortion) and 34 (common intention) against six accused.

Singh is facing an extortion case in Thane too.

He was shunted out from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March 2021 after Waze was arrested in the case of the SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambani's south Mumbai residence and the death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran.

Singh, subsequently, accused then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption, a charge the latter denied.