Probe panel issues warrant against former Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh

The single-member Inquiry Committee of retired Bombay High Court judge has issued a bailable warrant of Rs 50,000 against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The single-member Inquiry Committee of retired Bombay High Court judge Justice Kailas Uttamchand Chandiwal has issued a bailable warrant of Rs 50,000 against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.Singh has been summoned at least four times, but he has not appeared before the Commission, stalling its work.The Maharashtra government has constituted the Inquiry Committee to look into the allegations of corruption and extortion levelled by Singh against former State Home Minister Anil Deshmukh.Justice Chandiwal had imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 upon Singh for not appearing before the Commission on one of the earlier dates.On Tuesday, Advocates Sanjay Jain and Anukul Seth appearing for Singh informed the committee again that Singh's petition challenging the committee's existence was tagged with a PIL listed before the bench headed by the Bombay High Court Chief Justice.However, the advocates representing the others strongly opposed this submission. Advocate Anita Castellino, appearing for Deshmukh, said the matter had not been taken up for hearing, nor was it mentioned by the lawyers for urgent hearing. She thus pressed for a warrant.ALSO READ: Death due to fall, not scuffle: Mumbai court acquits cobbler charged with murder Advocate Sairuchita Chaudhary, appearing for Deshmukh's Personal assistant Sanjeev Palande, argued Singh had not even filed a single affidavit, though the inquiry was initiated on his complaint.The Inquiry Committee issued a warrant considering Singh had not appeared on the last four dates of the hearing and reiterated that it was conducting a time-bound inquiry.The committee has directed the Director General of Police to appoint a senior officer to execute the warrant. The officer will have to go to the last known address of Singh and hand over the warrant to him.ALSO READ: Deepak Kochhar moves Bombay HC, seeks quashing of ED proceedings in ICICI-Videocon PMLA case