The Bombay High Court has directed the police not to arrest former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh in a case under SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act till May 24.
A division bench of Justices S J Kathawalla and S P Tavade late on Friday night heard a petition filed by Singh, seeking to quash the FIR lodged against him and demanding a CBI probe into the case.
While Singh’s counsel claimed that the FIR was a backlash over his allegations of corruption against former Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh, the government said the FIR was registered as the complaint disclosed commission of offence.
The bench, however, questioned the timing of the FIR and said, “We do not understand why all this after Param Bir Singh has had a fallout with the government.”
After hearing the parties at length for over an hour, the court at midnight said it now ceases to be a vacation bench, and hence the matter would have to be heard on Monday.
“Since the matter is part heard, the State of Maharashtra in the meantime shall not arrest Param Bir Singh till the next date of hearing,” the court said.
Surjitt Sahani
