Top government and police officers are surprised over former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh’s move to hire former Attorney General and designated senior counsel Mukul Rohatgi to plead his case. They pointed out that Rohatgi charges over Rs 13 lakh plus per appearance. The officers referred to the whisper in the corridor about Singh is believed to have received from the top BJP guns in engaging Rohatgi as his counsel in the apex court.
Rohatgi appeared for Singh in the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Singh withdrew his petition for a CBI probe into his allegations of corruption against Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh after the apex court refused to entertain it. Rohatgi, appearing for Param Bir Singh, withdrew the plea and said he will raise the matter before the High Court on Wednesday itself. He requested the apex court to direct the High Court to hear the matter on Thursday.
As per the Maharashtra Home Department data on the salary of IPS officers (according to the 7th Pay Commission), the Director-General of Police gets Rs 2,25,000 (basic) plus various perks and allowances close to Rs 1 lakh per month. For the additional director general of police Rs 2,05,400 (basic) per various perks and allowances of around Rs 80,000. Incidentally, Singh is an IPS of the rank of director general of police.
After he was shunted out as the Mumbai Police Commissioner amid the bomb scare case and Mansukh Hiren death case, Singh has been posted as the Director General of Home Guards.
