Mumbai Police files 1,895 page chargesheet against Param Bir Singh in extortion case

The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police has filed a chargesheet running into 1,895 pages in the extortion case registered against senior IPS officer Param Bir Singh and four others including dismissed Mumbai cop Sachin Waze..The chargesheet was filed before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at Esplanade in the case that was registered based on a complaint by hotelier Bimal Agarwal against several persons.Agarwal had alleged that Singh and Waze had extorted cash and valuables worth ₹11.92 lakh from him with the help of private individuals which included Riyaz Bhati, Vinay Singh and Sumit Singh.Based on the complaint, a first information report (FIR) was registered for offences under Sections 201 (disappearance of evidence), 384, 385, 389 (extortion), 120 (criminal conspiracy) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.The first chargesheet in the case contains statements of 36 witnesses..One of the witnesses, Assistant Commissioner of Police Sanjay Patil said in his statement recorded by Magistrate under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure that during meetings with the bar and restaurant owners that Param Bir Singh, whom he referred to as “No.1”, had given him a target of collecting ₹2 crores per day.Another witness stated that when he had contacted the complainant, who had spoken to Waze, he was told that Waze was being pressurised by the Commissioner of Police.Many other witnesses also reiterated that the Waze would always refer to Singh as “No.1”..This is contrary to Waze's statement before the Enforcement Directorate (ED). When the ED asked Waze to clarify who was “No.1”, he clarified that "No. 1 as referred to is Shri Anil Deshmukh,” who was then the Home Minister of Maharashtra.The ED had raised this question based on a statement of a bar-owner who was informed by Waze that he was collecting money for "No.1”..Waze had also admitted to statements of two other witnesses whom he had allegedly stated that he was collecting money for ‘social service branch‘, ‘crime branch’ and ‘No.1 of Mumbai Police’. .Referring to a statement of Singh given on November 25, the police noted that despite being the Assistant Police Inspector, Waze was made Chief of the CIU and given responsibility of various important cases.“Even though he was a lower rank officer, he directly met with Singh and discussed important cases. This shows the faith that Singh had in him,” the chargesheet stated.