CBI files preliminary enquiries against Ex-Mumbai Police Chief

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has opened three preliminary investigations into charges of corruption and abuse of public position against former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The move comes just two weeks after the agency took over the investigation into five cases filed by the Maharashtra Police against Mr. Singh and others after a Supreme Court order.

Extortion, cheating, unlawful incarceration, kidnapping for ransom, and other offences are charged in four of the five cases taken over by the CBI earlier. Apart from several articles of the Indian Penal Code, the Maharashtra Police have filed a case under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the Protection of Civil Rights Act, and the Maharashtra Police Act.

PEs are not FIRs, but rather a method of gathering and verifying prima facie evidence based on witness testimony, records, and other sources. If there is a prima facie case, the CBI will transform these PEs into FIRs.

PEs were launched against Singh, Jitendra Navlani, retired officer Pradeep Sharma, and others, according to a top source.

The second PE concerns extortion charges against Singh, which also include businessman Jitu Navlani. According to the source, Singh invested Rs.1,000 crore on real estate through Navlani. Extortion and bribes are said to have been used to obtain this money.

The Supreme Court ordered the CBI to conduct further inquiry into the five instances on March 24.

“We believe that the State should have permitted the CBI to conduct the probe on its own.” We believe there is a systematic effort that needs to be investigated by the CBI. What is the truth, who is to blame, and how did such a circumstance come to be is something that needs to be investigated. All of these issues must be investigated by the CBI in an objective manner. ” We do not want this court’s view to influence the investigation,” the Court had stated.