J W Singh still untraceable for cops

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 2: Absconding Mumbai Sessions Court judge Jai Wadhu Singh, whose anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Suprem...

MUMBAI, FEBRUARY 2: Absconding Mumbai Sessions Court judge Jai Wadhu Singh, whose anticipatory bail application was rejected by the Supreme Court on Monday, still remains untraceable for the eight police teams who have launched a manhunt for him. Squads from Mumbai and Delhi police have undertaken a massive search and are keeping a close watch at three airports and five railway stations, but Singh, who was reportedly in Delhi till late last night, has not reached Mumbai so far and cannot be located, police said.

8220;Singh has no recourse left. He should surrender either to the police or to the courts, otherwise we may have to soon declare him a proclaimed offender,8221; said deputy commissioner of police, zone-IV, R G Kadam. In order to declare Singh a proclaimed offender, police will have to approach the special courts established for hearing cases under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act MCOCA and get a proclamation issued against Singh.

Immediately after the dismissal of Singh8217;s plea by the SC, Mumbai police asked their counterparts in Delhi to trace Singh and arrest him, but he has continued to evade the police dragnet.

8220;Many teams of the crime branch and the local police are looking for him. After Chhota Shakeel aide Feroze Konkani, who managed to give police the slip in May 1998, Singh, allegedly close to Shakeel, is the most hunted accused by Mumbai police,8221; a crime branch officer said.

The SC on Monday dismissed Singh8217;s plea for anticipatory bail and for quashing of a police FIR accusing him of taking Shakeel8217;s help to recover Rs 40 lakh due to him in lieu of judicial favours. A three-judge bench comprising Justice S P Bharucha, Justice S S M Quadri and Justice Ruma Pal dismissed Singh8217;s petition saying, 8220;we will not consider in this court any issue which has not been raised before the high court.8221;

The Bombay HC had on December 17 also dismissed Singh8217;s plea to quash the FIR against him.

On August 23, the HC registrar had framed charges against Singh alleging that he had 8220;personal contacts8221; with the Shakeel gang and had attempted to extort Rs 30 lakh to Rs 40 lakh from one Sardarsing Abrol alias Dara who runs a chit fund from a hotel located on the ground floor of the petitioner8217;s residence.

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Police booked Singh under MCOCA after they recorded telephonic conversations between the suspended Judge, Shakeel and advocate Liyakat Ali Shaikh now deceased wherein Singh had requested the don to recover the Rs 40 lakh chit fund money due to him from Abrol in return for judicial favours.