Ex Mumbai top cop Param Bir Singh fined Rs 25,000 for not appearing before judicial committee

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 19 (ANI): A one-member judicial inquiry committee of retired Bombay High Court judge, Justice KU Chandiwal, has imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 on former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh for non-appearance before it on Thursday.

The Justice Chandiwal committee was constituted by the Maharashtra government to look into the allegations of corruption levelled by Param Bir Singh against the state's ex-home minister Anil Deshmukh.

The committee's lawyer, Shishir Hire, told ANI, "This was the fifth summons issued to Param Bir Singh and he has not appeared before the committee yet for the hearing. The last hearing of the committee was scheduled on August 18 when the former Mumbai Police Commissioner was expected to record his statement, but he was not present. So, the committee imposed a fine of Rs 25,000 and asked him to pay the same within three days to Chief Minister's relief fund."

Stating that Singh has filed a plea in the high court and the court is expected to hear it on August 23, Sanjay Jain, appearing for Singh, said, "The former Mumbai top cop has approached the Bombay High Court against the constitution of the committee, and it is expected to hear the plea on August 23. So, Singh is waiting for the instructions from the high court before recording his statement with the committee. The plea was filed in the HC even before the latest summons were issued."

The committee will convene for the next hearing on August 25. (ANI)