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Settled 1.5K MCOCA cases, builder held in case linked to Param Bir: Singh said: Mumbai Police
One of the two builders, who are believed to be close to former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, have claimed to have “settled” between 1,000 and 1,500 cases registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Mcoca) using their clout in the police department
One of the two builders, who are believed to be close to former Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh, have claimed to have “settled” between 1,000 and 1,500 cases registered under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (Mcoca) using their clout in the police department. The two builders were arrested by Mumbai Police on July 22.
The police made the revelation before a metropolitan magistrate court on Thursday, while seeking the extension of the custody of the builders, Sanjay Punamiya and Sunil Jain. The duo is accused in multi-crore extortion cases along with Singh – now the director general of home guards – and five other policemen.
A special investigation team is investigating the case under the supervision of DCP (local arms-1) Nimit Goyal. The five accused policemen, including crime branch deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Akbar Pathan, have been shifted temporarily to the local arms division to ensure that they do not interfere in SIT’s investigation.
The accused’s claim of settling Mcoca cases was also recorded by the nephew of the complainant in his cell phone during one of his meetings with the accused. In the recording, Punamiya is also heard talking about the collapse of the Maharashtra government after Singh made allegations of corruption against former home minister Anil Deshmukh, the police said.
“While seeking the extension of police custody of the two accused on Thursday, we informed the court that SIT officers are trying to find out against whom these 1,000-1,500 Mcoca cases were registered because it is a very serious issue as Mcoca is filed against organised crime syndicates and anti-national elements,” said special public prosecutor Shekhar Jagtap.
SIT in the remand application also mentioned that the police have extracted 492 GB data from Punamiya and Jain’s seized mobile phones. The data consists of large number of suspicious documents, photos, audio clips of recorded conversations, call logs, chats and archive data.
“The nature of this data is extremely sensitive in nature and can’t be disclosed in the open court,” read the remand application. The police are now analysing the sensitive data, a SIT officer informed the court.
The police also said that the builders have multiple criminal cases against them and the duo are knowingly giving false information to the investigators to misguide them.
The SIT members also wish to question the accused policemen with the builders to verify certain facts.
The defence lawyer questioned why the complainant did not raise an objection when the settlement deed was being effected in the dispute.
After hearing the prosecution and the defence, the court extended Punamiya and Jain’s police custody by seven days.
Meanwhile, Pathan has filed a petition in the Bombay high court, seeking quashing of the first information report (FIR) against him. The petition was heard by a division bench of justice SS Shinde and justice NJ Jamadar, who were informed by advocate Niteen Pradhan that the cop was seeking interim protection from arrest. The court declined to grant immediate interim relief and said that it would hear the plea on Friday. While making remarks on the public prosecutors’ submissions that the police would conduct a preliminary probe in the case, the bench said, “If you think you will do a preliminary probe and keep lacunae in law open, it cannot happen like that. It is a serious matter. The petitioner is a senior officer (sic).”
The SIT, which comprises of an assistant commissioner of police (ACP), four inspectors and an assistant inspector, is probing a FIR against Singh, who is a 1988 batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, and the five other cops. The FIR was registered at Marine Drive police station, based on a complaint by a Bhayandar builder, Shyamsunder Agrawal. He had alleged that the Juhu police had filed a Mcoca case against him falsely accusing him of having links with underworld gangster Chhota Shakeel. Agrawal had claimed that based on this false case, Singh and his subordinates extorted money from him at the behest of Punamiya, who is his former business partner.
Singh is also facing multiple inquiries after he was shunted out from the Mumbai Police chief’s post in March over charges of improper handling of the Antilia explosives scare case. The Maharashtra criminal investigation department (CID) is probing allegations based on the complaint of cricket bookie Sonu Jalan and two others who have claimed that Singh – during his tenure as Singh Thane Police – and his subordinates had extorted money from the three. CID has submitted its inquiry report to director general of police (DGP) Sanjay Pandey. Sources said another FIR on extortion may soon be registered against Singh.
The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) has also initiated an open inquiry against Singh pertaining to corruption allegations made against him by police inspector Anup Dange. ACB has issued a look out circular (LoC) against Singh’s friend Jeetu Navlani, who is also an accused in the complaint filed by Dange.
Singh was booked in an Atrocities Act case in April on the complaint of an inspector from Akola Police. An FIR for extortion and kidnapping was also filed against Singh at Kopri police station in Thane last week.
Singh is currently in on leave owing to some health conditions and is in his hometown in Chandigarh. He has not responded to the allegations made against him in the multiple complaints.
After his removal as police commissioner on March 20, Singh wrote an explosive letter to chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, claiming that Deshmukh had instructed controversial crime branch officer Sachin Vaze (who has now been dismissed) and other Mumbai Police officers to extort ₹100 crore every month from the 1750 bars, pubs, hookah parlours and other establishments in Mumbai.
Based on this allegation, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) started investigations against Deshmukh on charges of corruption and money laundering.
