SC grants interim protection from arrest to ex-Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh

The Supreme Court on Monday granted interim protection to former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh from arrest in six FIRs (first information reports) lodged against him in Maharashtra. The court asked to join the investigation.

The order came after Singh’s lawyer informed the apex court that the former top police officer does not want to abscond, but has gone into hiding as he faced a threat to his life from the Mumbai Police.

Stating that his threat came from the Mumbai Police, Singh’s lawyer said he is living in the country itself and sought the apex court’s protection. His lawyer also informed the court that he is ready to appear before the CBI within 48 hours.

The court agreed to hear Singh's plea and issued a notice to the Maharashtra government and the CBI and posted the matter for hearing on December 6.

Last week, the apex court had asked his lawyer to inform about Singh's whereabouts when he sought protection.

On Wednesday, a magistrate court in Bombay declared Singh a "proclaimed offender" in an extortion case registered against him and some other police officers in the city.

Singh had last attended his office in May this year after which he went on leave. The state police had told the Bombay High Court last month that his whereabouts were not known.

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

(With inputs from bureau and agencies)