Param Bir Singh extortion case: CID arrests two police officers

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Monday arrested two police officers, previously posted in the Mumbai crime branch, in connection with the extortion case registered against them and former city police commissioner Param Bir Singh at the Marine Drive police station, an official said.

The two officers are identified as police inspector Nandkumar Gopale, currently posted at the Khandala police training centre, and police inspector Asha Korke, posted in the Naigaon local arms unit.

Their arrests come concerning a complaint filed by real estate developer Shyamsunder Agrawal at the Marine Drive police station on July 22 on the charge of extortion.

The FIR names Param Bir Singh and seven others, including five police officers.

During the investigation, police had arrested Agarwal's former business partner Sanjay Punamia and his associate Sunil Jain.

The five cops named in the FIR are identified as DCP (crime branch) Akbar Pathan, Assistant Commissioner of Police Shrikant Shinde, ACP Sanjay Patil, Inspector Asha Korke and crime branch inspector Nandkumar Gopale.

Considering the scope of the investigation into the extortion case filed at the Marine Drive police station, its probe was transferred from the SIT to the state CID earlier, the official said.

The CID was also entrusted with the investigation of a case registered against Shyamsunder Agrawal under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crimes Act (MCOCA) at Juhu police station for his alleged links with Underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel.

Agrawal had alleged that based on this "false" case, Param Bir Singh and other police officers extorted money from him at the behest of his former business partner Sanjay Punamiya, as per the FIR.