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The Mumbai Crime Branch on Saturday filed a chargesheet against four persons, including former police chief Param Bir Singh and suspended cop Sachin Vaze. The chargesheet was filed in the 37th Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court in a case related to extortion filed at Goregaon police station. Sumit Singh alias Chintu and Alpesh Patel – who are in custody, are also named in the chargesheet. Two accused, Vinay Singh and Riyaz Bhati, have been mentioned as absconding.

When asked under which section 197 of the CrPC was the sanction to chargesheet Param Bir was being sought, Special Public Prosecutor, Shekhar Jagtap, said that sanction was not needed in this case. “Public servant are given protection under this section for alleged act committed is directly concerned with official duties. But in this case an alleged extortion racket was run by Vaze and Param Bir which is not in the line of duty. Hence, sanction were not taken. We have also informed the court that we will be filing a supplementary chargesheet in the case.”

On August 21, businessman Bimal Agarwal had lodged an FIR for alleged extortion against Singh and others. Agarwal had alleged that Vaze, at Singh’s behest, extorted Rs 9 lakh from him as a payoff for not conducting raids on two of his bars in Goregaon which he ran in partnership.

Singh was declared an absconder in the case. After getting the apex court’s protection from arrest, he appeared before crime branch unit 11, where his statement was recorded.

The chargesheet assumes significance as interim protection granted to Singh by the Supreme Court ends on Monday. Last week, he was granted protection until December 6 and he was asked to cooperate in the investigation.

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India today

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