Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh, who was declared absconding in the money laundering case related to former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, was refused protection from arrest by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
In response to Singh’s request for protection against arrest, the SC asked his lawyer about his whereabouts. “First, we need to know where you are? Are you in India or outside? Without the information, your petition cannot be heard,” the apex court asked.
Singh was declared a ‘proclaimed offender” along with two others related to the case. The SC refused to grant him protection in light of his absence from the court and postponed the hearing for November 22. An exception was made to let him apply for the protection through power of attorney.
On Wednesday, Special public prosecutor Shekhar Jagtap said the Esplanade Court in Mumbai has accepted the Mumbai Police's application to declare former Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh a 'proclaimed offender'.
The Extortion Case
Singh is involved in a case of money laundering involving Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Anil Deshmukh. Deshmukh was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on November 1 and was later sent to14-days judicial custody. Singh had leveled allegations on Deshmukh of taking bribes of almost Rs 4.7 crores from bars and restaurants.
Still missing after the issue of non-bailable warrant:
The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police which is investigating the case had requested that Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Singh be declared “absconder”, stating that he could not be traced even after a non-bailable warrant was issued against him. Under Section 82 of the Criminal Procedure Code, when the proclamation is issued by the court, the accused is required to appear before the court if the warrant issued against him has not been served. The court may order the confiscation of the property of an accused after the proclamation is issued under section 83 of the Criminal Procedure Code.