NEW DELHI, Nov 22: The former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh, believed to be “absconding” after he failed to respond to several court summons, was on Monday granted protection from arrest by the Supreme Court.
The court, however, directed him to join the investigation against him following his claim that he was “very much in the country and had not fled abroad as was suspected.
Singh informed the court that he was fighting the might of a “draconian” State and its police which had “hounded” him for having the “courage to expose” the alleged doings of former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, who is facing money laundering charges and is currently in the judicial custody.
Singh, who is accused of corruption and extortion, portrayed himself as a whistle-blower who “does not want to give the impression that I am afraid of anything.” Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul, leading a Bench with Justice M.M. Sundaresh, remarked, “The matter has become curiouser and curiouser in the battle between the former Home Minister and the former police commissioner.”
Senior advocate Puneet Bali appearing for Singh, observed that his “client does not want to leave the country.” He was willing to cooperate, except for the imminent threat against him. “What faith will I have in the police now?” he argued.
Justice Kaul remarked, “We find this picture very disturbing… If the former Police Commissioner says he faces threats and has lack of faith in the police, what would be the fate of the common man?”
Bali submitted that his client had recorded and handed over transcripts of WhatsApp communications with a senior police officer, who advised him to back off or face serious cases that would be mounted against him as a retaliation for complaining against Deshmukh. “He said I cannot fight the State… That officer does not deny anything. With this, what expectations can I have from the State? All hell broke loose after I made the complaint,” he said.
Six cases were registered against Singh by bookies, extortionists and “people against whom I had taken action against.” he stated.
“If every person I had taken action against, that too, way back in 2015, files cases against me, how will I function as a police officer? How will my colleagues function?” he contended.
Both the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court had found the charges levelled by Singh against Deshmukh to be very serious. The apex court had said in April the charges should be probed into by an independent investigative agency, he pointed out.
The court, in its order, directed Singh to cooperate with the probe against him but said he “shall not be arrested.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
