For the past month, there has been no sign of Param Bir Singh. The affidavit of Justice (retired) Kailas Uttamchand Chandiwal to the Kailas Uttamchand Chandiwal commission, on the other hand, fuels speculation: What has happened to Mr. Bir Singh since you last spoke with him?
During the one-member Justice (retired) Kailas Uttamchand Chandiwal commission hearing in Mumbai, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was represented by senior counsel Abhinav Chandrachud and Asif Lampwala. They filed an affidavit accompanied by a power of attorney signed by Singh.
The power of attorney is signed in Chandigarh by Mahesh Panchal, who is authorised by the document to represent Param Bir Singh before the commission. According to the affidavit, Singh does not have any evidence to lead or cross-examine anyone.
“Param Bir Singh does not intend to submit any submissions before the committee,” according to the affidavit.
According to the ruling, the Supreme Court of India has taken note of Param Bir Singh’s letter to the chief minister dated 20.03.2024, and he has nothing more to add than what he stated in his letter.
In March of this year, Singh wrote to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, accusing the state’s then-Home Minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption. As a result, the Maharashtra government established the Chandiwal commission, and the CBI launched its investigation into Deshmukh’s actions.
Mr. Bir Singh, on the other hand, refused to appear before the commission despite being summoned multiple times. The commission then issued an arrest warrant for him. Despite this, Param Bir Singh was not apprehended, and the warrant was not carried out.
Param Bir Singh, on the other hand, has stated that he is unable to attend the hearing due to medical reasons.
During the commission’s hearing on Friday, Anita Castallino, the attorney representing Anil Deshmukh, objected to Chandrachud’s request to cancel the bailable warrant.
Castallino requested non-bailable warrants (NBW) in the case of Param Bir Singh. However, the court denied this request, instead instructing everyone to respond in writing to Chandrachud’s request for an extension of time to file one.
Furthermore, Castellino asked for the notary who signed the power of attorney to be called to testify in court. “I looked at the power of attorney, and it’s not in the right format,” said lawyer Sairuchita Chowdhary, who represented Sanjeev Palande Deshmukh’s private secretary. As a result, the notary must be examined.”
The commission, on the other hand, ignored Param Bir Singh’s affidavit and proceeded to question other witnesses. Another development is that sacked Mumbai police officer Sachin Vaze has been summoned to appear before the commission on October 28th.
According to Param Bir Singh, Anil Deshmukh allegedly asked Vaze and another officer, both of whom were his subordinates, to extort money from various businesses with a target of Rs 100 crore.
However, for the past month, Param Bir Singh has been untraceable, leading investigators to believe he has fled India. A new affidavit, however, adds fuel to the fire by raising the question of whether Mr. Bir Singh is still in town.
