Thane: The Thane Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) has accepted the closure report filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the extortion case involving the former IPS officer who has previously served as both Mumbai Thane Commissioner of Police (CP) Param Bir Singh. A total of five cases were registered against Singh and others.
CJM S. K. Fokmare, in his order, stated: “The report is submitted through CBI Mumbai. As per the final report, during investigation, it appears to the CBI Unit, New Delhi, that there is no sufficient evidence or reasonable ground of suspicion to proceed further against the accused persons. It has been stated in the report that the allegations made by the complainant are not corroborated by any independent evidence. The complaint was lodged after a lapse of almost five years from the date of occurrence. It has been observed that the facts and circumstances do not substantiate the allegations or disclose any incriminating evidence for launching prosecution against any of the accused persons.”
“As per the closure report, during the investigation, it was revealed to the Investigating Officer that the accused had no connection with the crime registered against them. Thus, according to the Investigating Officer, there is no sufficient evidence or reasonable ground for launching prosecution against the accused. This closure report was submitted on December 12, 2023. The informant was fully aware of the closure report and was represented by his counsel. However, for the past one year, neither the informant nor anyone else has challenged the report submitted by the CBI. The conclusion of the Investigating Agency is justified. Hence, the ‘C Summary’ in the form of the closure report is accepted,” the court maintained.
The cases were registered against Singh and several other officials and private individuals at the Kopri Police Station in Thane and the Bazarpeth Police Station in Kalyan. The CBI filed the closure report in the Kopri police case in January last year, while the report in the Bazarpeth police case was filed on June 11, 2025.
The CBI, in its closure report, stated that no evidence was found against Param Bir Singh or his associates in the alleged extortion case.
As per the the document the case, which originated from FIR No. 201/2016 registered at Thane Nagar Police Station, involved a business dispute between Shyam Sunder Agrawal and accused Sanjay Punamiya — both former partners in M/s Tirupati Balaji Enterprises and M/s Rajaram Dev Enterprises.
According to complainant Sharad Agrawal, Punamiya allegedly used his influence with senior police officers, including Param Bir Singh and DCP Parag Manere, to falsely implicate his uncle Shyam Sunder Agrawal and extort money through threats and coercion.
The document further said that Agrawal claimed that soon after his uncle’s arrest in November 2016, he was threatened by Punamiya’s associates, including Sunil Jain and Manoj Ghotkar, who warned him that unless a financial settlement was made, MCOCA charges would be invoked.
He further alleged that he was taken to Param Bir Singh’s bungalow in Thane, where Singh allegedly demanded ₹20 crore via DCP Parag Manere to settle the matter.
However, the CBI, citing a thorough investigation, stated that there was no material evidence to support the claims that Param Bir Singh misused his position for extortion. The agency concluded that the sequence of events — including the complainant’s participation in voluntary settlements and the delayed reporting of the alleged incidents (which were reported only in 2021) — weakened the credibility of the accusations.
The report also noted that the property transactions mentioned by the complainant were civil in nature, some of which were already settled through court orders or mutual agreements. These included the sale of Survey No. 668 in Bhayander by Draupati Agrawal, allegedly under coercion, and earlier business dealings involving properties in Mira Road and Nashik. The CBI concluded that these did not prove any criminal conspiracy or coercion by Param Bir Singh or the other accused.
Regarding the arrest of Shubham Agrawal, the report said that complainant’s brother, the agency found no irregularities in the police procedure. The CBI stated that the arrest followed due legal process after he failed to respond to summons and that there was no evidence to suggest that it was carried out at Singh’s behest.
The closure report also highlighted that a parallel FIR (No. 299/21), filed at Marine Drive Police Station repeating similar allegations, did not reveal any new evidence. It stated that the complainant’s failure to honor previously agreed-upon settlements further indicated that there was no coercion at the time.
“In the absence of any incriminating material or credible evidence to support the allegations, no case is made out against Param Bir Singh or the other named accused,” the CBI stated in its report submitted to the court.
