Param Bir FIR transferred to CID from Thane Police

An FIR against former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, registered on a complaint filed by Inspector Bhimrao Ghadge, was transferred from Thane Police to the state CID last week.

The FIR has named 33 people, including Singh and other police officers. It invokes 27 sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Atrocities Act.

This is the second investigation relating to Singh that has been transferred to the state CID. Earlier, an inquiry being conducted by the state Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), based on a complaint filed by alleged bookie Sonu Jalan, was also later transferred to the CID. Jalan’s statement has already been recorded by the agency.

In the weeks Singh dragged his corruption allegations against Anil Deshmukh to court, winning a CBI investigation against him and forcing his resignation as state home minister, the home department and the police have started conducting several probes against the former Mumbai Police commissioner.

An official from the department said, “Since several accused persons have been named in the FIR, it would require more than a single investigating officer. Based on the request of the Thane Police that more officers would be needed to probe the matter, the FIR was transferred to the state CID.”

After the case was moved to the CID last week, Navi Mumbai SP Maruti Jagtap issued summons to Ghadge, asking him to appear before him on Wednesday. An officer said that the case papers have already been transferred to the CID.

Singh had petitioned the Bombay High Court seeking that the FIR registered against him at the behest of Ghadge be quashed. Last week, the HC had granted Singh protection from arrest till the next hearing on coming Thursday. The state government is likely to file its response to Singh’s petition before the matter comes up for hearing.

In his complaint, Ghadge had alleged that as Thane Police commissioner, Singh had allegedly collected money from his juniors to give them their preferred postings. He had further alleged that Singh interfered in cases under investigation and had asked Ghadge to not take action against a particular person named in one case. He also alleged that when he refused to do so, FIRs were registered against him under various pretexts.

Ghadge was later suspended and arrested in connection with a case where he was alleged to have opened fire at a builder in Thane. He was later reinstated in the police force.