Bombay High Court grants protection to Param Bir Singh from arrest in midnight hearing
A vacation bench comprising Justices SJ Kathawalla and SP Tavade has adjourned the case to Monday while asking the state government to not arrest Param Bir Singh.
FollowThe Bombay High Court on Friday directed the Maharashtra government to not arrest former police commissioner Param Bir Singh till May 24 in the atrocities case filed against him.
A vacation bench comprising Justices SJ Kathawalla and SP Tavade has adjourned the case to Monday while asking the state government to not arrest Param Bir Singh.
During the last hearing, Maharashtra government made the submission that Param Bir Singh would not be arrested. However, advocate Darius Khambatta, appearing for the state Maharashtra government, refused to continue with the statement this time.
The Bench passed a short order at 11.55 pm since at the stroke of midnight, the judges would cease to be vacation judges which would have forced them to adjourn the matter for Monday next week.
The matter was initially called out for hearing in the afternoon, when the Bench suggested that since the case was being heard by another bench which would be sitting from Monday next week, the same bench should ideally continue hearing the matter.
"I am not in a position to make a statement. This is a very serious matter under the SC/ST Act. I am not saying we will arrest him overnight but I don't want any fretters on the investigation," he said.
The court was hearing a petition filed by Singh seeking to quash the FIR filed against him at Bazzar Peth Police Station Kalyan and it is also registered at Akola. The plea states, “The FIR refers to an event of 2015 and is belatedly registered after having failed to pressurize him to withdraw his complaint against former home minister Anil Deshmukh.”
Param Bir Singh, who is currently the Director General (DG) of Maharashtra Home Guard, has alleged that the FIR registered against him is political vendetta. Following this, he has filed a plea seeking a stay on the investigation.
On March 20, Singh had written a letter to the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that Mr Deshmukh directed suspended police officer Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crores from bars and restaurants over a month.
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