[BREAKING] "Very disturbing:" Supreme Court grants Param Bir Singh protection from arrest

The Supreme Court on Monday granted Senior IPS officer Param Bir Singh protection from arrest in various cases registered against him by the Maharashtra Police (Param Bir Singh v. State of Maharashtra)..A Bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundresh passed the order after Singh' counsel Senior Advocate Puneet Bali, told the Court that Singh apprehends threat to life from Mumbai Police if he steps foot in Maharashtra and should be granted interim protection."The accused shall join investigation. Meanwhile he shall not be arrested," the top court ordered.The Court also noted in its order that the facts of the case are very disturbing and the battle between the former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and the former Mumbai Police Commissioner Singh has become "curiouser and curiouser"."We do find the picture very disturbing. An earlier Commissioner seems to show lack of faith in the police! We wonder what would happen to the common man and what kind of faith would they have in the police. The matter has become curiouser and curiouser in the battle between the then Home Minister and the then Police Commissioner," the order said..The order was passed after Bali informed the Court that Singh is "very much" in India.This submission came after the top court had on November 18, said that it will not hear a plea filed by Singh challenging the inquiries initiated against him by the Maharashtra government, until the absconding officer discloses his whereabouts to the Court'No protection, no hearing till we have an answer to the question - where are you," the Bench had asked.Singh has remained absconding for the past many weeks and a Mumbai court had last week allowed a plea by Mumbai Police to declare the officer as 'proclaimed offender'.The Supreme Court had, on Thursday last week, expressed doubts about whether Singh had escaped the country.It had then asked the lawyers appearing for Singh to first get instructions in that regard before it proceeds with hearing the case."Your petition has been filed by your power of attorney holder. Where are you? Are you in the country or outside. We could be wrong but if you are somewhere abroad and waiting for Supreme Court orders, how can we give it," the Court had demanded..The Court was hearing a plea against a September 16 judgment of the Bombay High Court which had dismissed the petition filed by Singh challenging two preliminary inquiries initiated against him by the Maharashtra government and to entrust probe regarding the same to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). Bali on Monday submitted on behalf of Singh that while his plea before the Bombay High Court prayed for CBI probe, the High Court had asked the petitioner to approach Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) on the ground that it is a service matter.The Court noted that since the CBI is already looking into issue against former Home Minister and the issue to be decided is whether other aspects also should be entrusted to the CBI.The Supreme Court then proceeded to issue notice to the Maharashtra government on the appeal while granting interim relief to Singh."Let notice issue to the respondents returnable on December 6, 2021. In the meantime, the petitioner shall join the investigation but shall not be arrested," the Court ordered..[Read Order]