Thane: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has closed the case of alleged extortion against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh and others, saying that there was no sufficient evidence to prove the charges. The CBI submitted a closure report to the Chief Judicial Magistrate Thane on January 18, 2024, which will be considered by the court in February.
The case was filed by a local businessman, Sharad Aggarwal, who accused Singh, who was then the Deputy Commissioner of Police, and some real estate developers of threatening him to seize his land and extort Rs 2 crore from him in 2016-2017. Aggarwal complained to Kopri police station in Thane, a city adjacent to Mumbai, in July 2021.
The CBI took over the case from the local police and conducted a thorough investigation into the allegations. However, the agency found that the facts and circumstances of the case did not support the allegations or reveal any evidence to prosecute any of the accused persons.
The closure report stated that the complaint was made after a gap of almost five years from the date of the incident and there was no evidence available that would help prove the truth. The report also said that Aggarwal had given his consent to transfer his land without any coercion or fear and that he could not provide any details to substantiate his claims.
The CBI’s decision to close the case comes as a relief for Singh, who is facing several other cases of corruption and misconduct during his tenure as the Mumbai Police Commissioner. Singh was removed from his post in March 2021 after he accused the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of running an extortion racket with the help of some police officers. Deshmukh had also resigned from his post following the allegations.
