Ready to appear before CBI within 48 hours, ex-Mumbai Police chief Param Bir Singh tells Supreme Court

Param Bir Singh, who had accused the then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption, has alleged frame-up in criminal cases. Besides seeking protection from coercive steps, Singh has sought a CBI probe into the entire issue involving him.

New Delhi: Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday told the Supreme Court that he is ready to appear before the CBI within the next 48 hours to join the ongoing probe into the extortion allegations made by him against the state’s former home minister, Anil Deshmukh.

After hearing his submission, the top court granted interim protection from arrest to Singh and directed him to join the CBI investigation at the earliest.

Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Singh tells Supreme Court that he is ready to appear before CBI within 48 hours. Supreme Court grants protection from arrest to him and directs him to join the investigation. pic.twitter.com/0fSbDWc3va

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2021

Param Bir Singh's advocate earlier told the Supreme Court that his client has been hiding as he faces a grave threat to his life from the Mumbai Police. Param Bir Singh is very much in the country and he is not absconding, his advocate informed the Supreme Court.

Param Bir Singh's advocate tells the Supreme Court that Singh is hiding as he faces threat to his life from Mumbai Police.

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2021

The top court, while granting protection from arrest to Singh in criminal cases lodged against him in Maharashtra, also sought responses from the state government, its DGP, and the CBI on his plea.

Singh, who had accused the then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption, has alleged frame-up in criminal cases. Besides seeking protection from coercive steps, Singh has also sought a CBI probe into the entire issue involving him.

Supreme Court agreed to hear Param Bir Singh's plea and issued notice to the Maharashtra government and CBI and posted the matter for hearing on December 6. A bench comprising Justices S K Kaul and M M Sundresh issued notices to the Maharashtra government, its DGP Sanjay Pande and the CBI on Singh's plea.

“Issue notice. Returnable on December 6. In the meantime, the petitioner shall join the investigation and shall not be arrested,” the bench ordered.