No protection, no hearing until we know where you are, says SC on IPS officer Param Bir Singh's plea

The apex court asked his lawyer to inform about Singh's whereabouts and posted the matter for hearing on November 22

The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to consider a plea for protection to former Mumbai's top cop Param Bir Singh, saying no hearing and any relief can be granted to him in cases launched against after his sensational Rs 100 cr extortion charges till he disclosed his whereabouts.

A bench presided over by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul asked a counsel for Singh, declared a proclaimed offender in an extortion case, to disclose which part of the world or the country he was in.

Without his location details, the court would not entertain his plea seeking protection, the bench added.

Also Read | Maharashtra govt starts process to suspend Param Bir Singh over extortion cases

“Where are you, within the country or outside? First, I want to know where are you,” the bench asked senior advocate Puneet Bali.

He said that his client’s whereabouts would be known to the advocate-on-record.

The bench sought a response from the advocate-on-record, who, for his part, said that he was not aware of Singh’s current location.

Following this, Bali submitted, “If I am allowed to breathe. I may come out of the hole”.

Read | Dismissed cop Sachin Vaze sent to judicial custody in extortion case

Dissatisfied with the answer, the bench said such actions lead to a lack of confidence in the system, “you have not joined the investigation, no one knows where are you”.

"If it were to assume that Singh is outside the country and waiting for a favourable court order as a condition to return back, no protection and no hearing. First, answer where he is. Which part of the world or country," the bench told his counsel.

The court then fixed Monday as the date for further hearing to enable Singh’s counsel to disclose his current location.

Singh, an officer of the 1988-batch of the Indian Police Service, last served as the Commandant General of Home Guards.

Also Read | Mumbai court declares IPS officer Param Bir Singh 'proclaimed offender' in extortion case

He is suspected to be either in Europe or Russia and there are chances that he could soon face a Red Corner Notice.

In a case related to extortion originally registered in Goregaon, Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sudhir Bhajipale has on Wednesday accepted the Mumbai Police application to declare him as a proclaimed offender.

The Crime Branch of Mumbai Police said that he could not be traced even after the issuance of a non-bailable warrant against him.

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