Maharashtra: Two PI rank officers arrested in Param Bir Singh extortion case

PI Nandkumar Gopale and PI Asha Korke

In a major development, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Maharashtra Police have arrested two police inspector rank officers in connection with the Marine Drive extortion case registered against former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh and two DCPs.

The arrested PIs Nandkumar Gopale and Asha Korke were also named in the FIR registered with Marine Drive Police station.

The case was initially investigated by Marine Drive Police and they arrested two private people, later the Maharashtra government formed a SIT headed by DCP Nimit Goyal to probe the matter.

The case was later given to CID, which is investigating the multiple cases against Singh and other officers. The CID has arrested Gopale and Korke after more than two months of investigation and found a money trail which establishes that these two officers have taken R50 lakh on behalf of DCP rank officer who is still under the scanner."The money trail has been established and we found some prima facie evidence and the arrest was needed to probe the matter further." A senior officer of CID told mid-day.

According to sources, Korke and Gopale who were named in the FIR have earlier recorded their statement before the CID and presented their defence but the CID was not satisfied.

The complainant, Shyam Sundar Agarwal, in his statement has alleged that, on 5th of March the then senior PI of unit 09 Gopale carried out raids at his office and residence in Bhayander and at the same time PI Korke raided his Vile Parle residence. The complainant further alleged that, Gopale in front of him called the then DCP detection Akbar Pathan and asked for R50 lakh for not arresting him. According to Agarwal, at the same time PI Korke sent a photo of R10 on WhatApp of complainant's son and told him that a person will come with the same note near his residence and he should check the number on the note before handing over cash to him. The complaint in the FIR further alleged that his son arranged the money from somewhere and paid it due to which he was not arrested at the time. Agarwal also added that, the police team took several property documents from his residence and gave it to Sanjay Punamia, another accused in the case arrested earlier by Marine Drive police.

According to sources in the CID, both Gopale and Korke were asked about these allegations and they presented their defence saying that the allegations are false and they have been just doing their duty as police officers. However, CID in their thorough probe have found some prima facie evidence and arrested the duo. In July this year, the Marine Drive police booked former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh and other serving officers including Korke and Gopale on charges of extortion, cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and disobeying the law along with other stringent Sections of the Indian Penal Code. Two DCPs and ACPs were also named in the FIR.