Maha govt extends protection from arrest to Param Bir Singh till June 22

The Maharashtra government will not arrest former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh till June 22 in a case registered against him under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Bombay High Court was told on Monday.

Senior counsel Darius Khambata, who appeared for the Maharashtra government, told the high court that his previous statement on protecting the senior IPS officer from any "coercive action" in the case will be extended till June 22.

Following Khambata's statement, a bench of Justices PB Varale and SP Tavade adjourned the hearing till June 22 on the pleas filed by Singh seeking quashing of an FIR registered against him by the Thane Police under the Atrocities Act and challenging preliminary inquiries initiated against him by the state government.

The FIR was registered against Singh under the Prevention of Atrocities Act in April this year on a complaint lodged by Akola police inspector BR Ghadge.

Ghadge, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste community, had alleged that Singh had conspired with others to implicate him in some cases of extortion after he refused to follow Singh's illegal orders to benefit some accused persons in a criminal case.

In his other plea in the HC, Singh had challenged two inquiries initiated against him by the state government on charges of misconduct and corruption.

The first inquiry order was passed on April 1 this year by then state home minister Anil Deshmukh for alleged violation of some All India Services (Conduct) Rules. The second order was passed on April 20 by Deshmukh's successor Dilip Walse Patil over allegations of corruption levelled against Singh.