'Absconder' notice pasted at ex-Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh's home

A Mumbai court order declaring Singh as 'absconder' was pasted outside his Juhu home here on Tuesday, officials said, adding the court order directed him to report before the magistrate

A Mumbai court order declaring former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh as 'absconder' was pasted outside his Juhu home here on Tuesday, officials said, adding the court order directed him to report before the magistrate.

The court order says: "Singh is required to appear before the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Esplanade Court, Mumbai, or Investigating Officer to answer the said complaint within 30 days."

It said that a complaint has been lodged before the Court under various sections of the Indian Penal Code related to extortion and criminal conspiracy, and the court is satisfied that the accused, Singh, has absconded or concealed himself to avoid the service of the warrant.

The former Mumbai police chief faces at least five cases of corruption and extortion, besides a probe panel inquiry in the wake of his letter-bomb accusing the then home minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Anil Deshmukh, currently in judicial custody till next Monday.

Singh, who has been avoiding summonses, bailable and non-bailable warrants of arrest since the past few months, informed the Supreme Court on Monday that he is not absconding and is present in the country, after which he was granted interim protection from arrest till December 6.

Simultaneously, the apex court also directed him to join the investigations and issued notices to the Central Bureau of Investigation and Maharashtra government in the matter.

An officer of 1998 IPS batch, Singh was removed from the post as CoP and promoted as Commandant General, Maharashtra Home Guards, after which he targeted Deshmukh, leading to his resignation and subsequent arrest by the Enforcement Directorate.

--IANS

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