FPJ Legal: Bombay HC quashes proclamation against Riyaz Bhati, co-accused of Param Bir Singh in extortion case

The Bombay High Court has quashed a proclamation issued against Riyaz Bhati, an alleged middleman, who was declared absconded along with former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh in an alleged extortion case.

Justice Revati Dere quashed the order of the lower court issuing proclamation and declaring Bhati an absconder.

His counsel Taraq Sayed argued that the HC had earlier quashed the proclamation order against other accused, Vinay Singh, whose case was identical.

On November 17, 2021, a city magistrate had declared Param Bir Singh a ‘proclaimed absconder. Along with him, other accused in the case, Bhati and one Vinay Singh were also declared absconders on a plea by the Mumbai crime branch stating it could not locate these persons to execute the non-bailable warrant against them in an extortion case.

A complaint was lodged against them at Goregaon police station in October last year, against Singh.

The extortion complaint was lodged by a hotelier who alleged that Sachin Vaze, now dismissed from the position of Assistant Police Inspector, in connivance with Singh, and others compelled him to shell out Rs. 11.92 lakhs so as to allow him to run smoothly his two resto-bars in the city’s western suburbs.

According to the police, Bhati used to collect money from bar and restaurant owners and send it to Vaze.