Almost three months prior to being reinstated in the Mumbai Police last June, then suspended officer Sachin Waze had told a person that he would be reinstated in the force shortly. Further in January 2020, Waze had informed the same person – identified as Bimal Agarwal – that Param Bir Singh, an officer “close to him”, would be appointed as the next Mumbai Police commissioner. As predicted, Singh was appointed as the city police commissioner on February 29. Agarwal later filed a police complaint in an extortion case, in connection to which the Mumbai Police on December 5 filed a chargesheet against five persons, including Singh and Waze. It was in his statement to the police that Agarwal made these revelations about how Waze had information about future police postings beforehand, which intimidated Agarwal and made him pay the extortion money allegedly demanded by Waze. Ever since Waze's alleged role in the Ambani terror scare case and the resultant Mansukh Hiran murder case have came to the fore, allegations and counter allegations have been made about who had reinstated him in the force. His reinstatement was especially controversial since Waze had been suspended in 2003 following his alleged role in the Khwaja Yunus custodial death case and the trial against him was underway. In his statement to the police recorded in August, Agarwal had said that he knew Waze from earlier and met him a couple of times when he was under suspension. He added that in January-February 2020, Waze had come to meet him at his Malad office. “He told me that his boss Param Bir Singh, who was close to him, was going to be appointed as the next Mumbai Police commissioner. He said 'you restart your hotel business and I will take care of the rest. The work of collecting money is going to be assigned to me. I will help you set up'," Agarwal quoted Waze in his statement that forms part of the 1,895-page chargesheet filed by the Crime Branch against Singh, Waze and other accused in the extortion case. Agarwal said that as per Waze's prediction, Singh was appointed as the Mumbai Police commissioner. “Waze told me now that Singh has been appointed the police commissioner, he would be reinstated. Around June 2020, as per Waze's prediction, he was reinstated in the CIU (Crime Intelligence Unit) of the Crime Branch," he added. He further said that while Waze was friendly with him when he was under suspension, after he was reinstated, he threatened him and asked him to pay a monthly sum for running the restaurant and bar. “He told me that if I did not do his work, he will not let me do business. Hence, out of fear, I did what he told me to do," Agarwal said. Of the five FIRs registered against Singh, this was the first case in which a chargesheet has been filed. Currently, the Supreme Court has barred the police from filing more chargesheets against Waze though it has allowed investigation to continue. The SC, during the last hearing, had asked if the CBI was willing to take over the case against Singh. The CBI and the Maharashtra government will file affidavits in the matter and the SC will next hear the case again on January 11.
