Mumbai Nov 30 PTI Dismissed police officer Sachin Waze on Tuesday told an inquiry commission here that the period during which he was in the custody of the National Investigation Agency NIA in the Antilia bomb scare case was the most traumatic time of his life He had signed various documents during this period under duress he claimed Waze currently being crossed-examined before the single-member commission made the claim while responding to a question by former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukhs lawyer The state government set up the Justice retd K U Chandiwal commission in March to probe former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singhs corruption allegations against Deshmukh On Tuesday Deshmukh an NCP leader also appeared before the commission The former home minister is in judicial custody since November 15 after his arrest in an alleged money laundering case After he was brought before the commission around 12 noon Deshmukhs lawyer Anita Castellino moved an application seeking adjournment She had instructions that the matter would be handled by a senior advocate she said The commission granted adjournment till December 13 but imposed a cost of Rs 15000 to be deposited in the Chief Ministers Relief Fund-Covid 19 within a week But minutes later Deshmukh and advocate Castellino requested that they be allowed to put a few questions to Sachin Waze The commission allowed the prayer as no objection was raised by lawyers of other sides To Castellinos question whether there was any kind of pressure on him or he faced uncomfortable situation while in the NIAs custody Waze said Yes of course It was the most traumatic time in my life the dismissed police officer said To another question Waze said the NIA caused harassment and humiliation to him during the custody I say the trauma is still there he added He also claimed that he signed various documents under duress of the NIA authorities Wazes cross-examination will continue on Wednesday Param Bir Singh transferred from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March in the aftermath of the Antilia bomb scare episode alleged that Deshmukh had asked police officers including Waze to collect Rs 100 crore a month from bars and restaurants in the citySinghs transfer followed Wazes arrest in the case of an SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambanis south Mumbai residence Antilia The Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate are also probing the allegations made against Deshmukh by the senior IPS officer PTI AVI GK KRK KRK

Thane Nov 27 PTI Thane Commissioner of Police Jai Jeet Singh has written a letter to Maharashtra DGP urging him to cancel the appointment of one of the two special public prosecutors in the case of extortion registered against IPS officer Param Bir Singh The letter which was written on October 11 is doing rounds in media after Param Bir Singhs appearance at Thane Nagar police station in the city on Friday where the case of extortion is registered against him The letter says As per our request advocate Shekhar Jagtap was appointed as the special public prosecutor in the case on August 9 2021 The home department of the state government had made the appointment But we have come to know that the states law and judiciary department has appointed advocate Pradeep Gharat as the special public prosecutor in the same case on September 30 2021 it says The investigation in the case is in the last stage The charge sheet is to be filed in a week and the process of verifying the documents is underway At this stage it is not clear as to why the special public prosecutor was changed it added Besides having two special public prosecutors will affect the case Therefore we request you to cancel the appointment of advocate Pradeep Gharat in the case the Thane police commissioner said in the letter to the states top cop Param Bir Singh former Mumbai police commissioner on Friday appeared before the Thane Nagar police station in connection with the extortion case registered against him and 28 othersThe case was filed based on a complaint lodged by builder and bookie Ketan Tanna in July this year PTI COR NP NP

Mumbai Nov 26 PTI Police in neighbouring Thane city on Friday recorded the statement of former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in an extortion caseHe also appeared before a local court which cancelled a non-bailable warrant issued against himSingh reached the Thane Nagar police station along with his lawyer around 1030 am and was questioned for nearly seven hours officials aidZonal Deputy Commissioner of Police Avinash Ambure was present at the police station to supervise the probe sources saidA case of extortion was registered against Singh and 28 others at the police station on the complaint lodged by builder and alleged bookie Ketan Tanna in JulyAs per the complaint when Singh was Thane police commissioner between 2018 and 2019 he and other accused extorted Rs 125 crore from Tanna and Rs 3 crore from Tannas friend Sonu JalanApart from Singh retired inspector Pradeep Sharma inspector Rajkumar Kothmire and DCP Deepak Devraj are among the accusedTwo accused have been arrested in the case so far with one of them getting bail two days agoSingh is facing a total of five extortion cases in Maharashtra two of them in Thane The Thane police have formed a special investigation team SIT to probe these two extortion casesSingh who was recently declared an absconder by a court arrived in Mumbai on Thursday after remaining untraceable for over six monthsHe was questioned by the Mumbai polices crime branch in another extortion case on ThursdayHe had been shunted out as Mumbais top cop earlier this year after the Antilia bomb scare caseThe Supreme Court granted Singh protection from arrest a few days agoSinghs lawyer Rajendra Mokashi said he remained present before the Thane court on Friday in between his questioning by police and the warrant issued against him for non-appearance earlier was cancelledHe also provided a surety of Rs 15000 the lawyer said PTI DC COR NP KRK KRK

New Delhi Nov 18 PTI The Supreme Court Thursday asked former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh who has sought protective orders to disclose his location saying no protection no hearing until we know where you are The apex court asked his lawyer to inform about Singhs whereabouts and posted the matter for hearing on November 22 A bench headed by Justice S K Kaul took exception that his plea seeking protection has been filed through power of attorney You are seeking protective orders nobody knows where you are Suppose you are sitting abroad and taking legal recourse through power of attorney then what happens If that is so then you will come to India if the court rules in your favour we dont know what you have in mind No protection no hearing until we know where you are said the bench also comprising Justice M M Sundresh It further said The petition has been filed through power of attorney Where are you Are you in this country or outside In some state where are you We will come to the remaining first we know where you are A magistrate court in Bombay on Wednesday 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 Under Section 82 of the Code of Criminal Procedure a court can publish a proclamation requiring an accused to appear if a warrant issued against him or her cannot be executed As per Section 83 after issuing such a proclamation the court can also order attachment of the offenders properties Former assistant police inspector Sachin Waze is also an accused in the case registered at the Goregaon police station Besides Singh co-accused Vinay Singh and Riyaz Bhatti were also declared proclaimed offenders by Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S B Bhajipale on Wednesday Bimal Agrawal a real estate developer and hotelier had alleged that the accused extorted Rs 9 lakh from him for not conducting raids on two bars and restaurants which he ran in partnership and also forced him to buy two smartphones worth around Rs 292 lakh for them The incidents occurred between January 2020 and March 2021 he had claimed Following his complaint a case was filed under Indian Penal Code Sections 384 and 385 both pertaining to extortion and 34 common intention against six accused Singh is facing an extortion case in Thane too The IPS officer was shunted from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March 2021 after Waze was arrested in the case of the SUV with explosives found near industrialist Mukesh Ambanis south Mumbai residence Antilia and the subsequent death of Thane businessman Mansukh Hiran Singh was then appointed as Director General Home Guards following which he accused the then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption a charge the latter denied Deshmukh later stepped down as minister and the CBI registered a case against him based on Singhs allegations Singh was last seen in public on April 7 when he appeared before the National Investigation Agency NIA here to record statements in the Antilia bomb scare case The CBI also recorded his statement in the Deshmukh case He last attended office on May 4 following which he went on leave citing health issues a senior official said Singh then sought an extension of leave claiming he had undergone a surgery In August he requested one more extension On October 20 the police told the Bombay High Court that he was not traceable and therefore they can not continue an earlier assurance not to arrest him in a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act The HC was hearing a petition filed by Singh seeking to quash the FIR in the case registered on the complaint of harassment filed by police inspector Bhimrao Ghadge PTI PKS SA

New Delhi Nov 18 PTI The Supreme Court Thursday asked former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh to disclose his location and said no protection no hearing until we know where you are The apex court asked his lawyer to inform about Singhs whereabouts and posted the matter for hearing on November 22 A bench headed by Justice S K Kaul took exception that his plea seeking protection has been filed through power of attorney You are seeking protective orders nobody knows where you are Suppose you are sitting abroad and taking legal recourse through power of attorney then what happens If that is so then you will come to India if the court rules in your favour we dont know what you have in mind No protection no hearing until we know where you are said the bench also comprising Justice M M SundreshIt further said The petition has been filed through power of attorney Where are you Are you in this country or outside In some state where are you We will come to the remaining first we know where are you A magistrates court in Bombay on Wednesday 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 PTI PKS SA