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A Supreme Court bench of Justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and MM Sundaresh today granted bail to journalist Binu Varghese who was accused of being involved in extortion along with former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh.

Varghese was booked by the Mumbai police in August 2021 for trying to extort a ransom from the Assistant Commissioner of Thane Municipal Corporation. The AC alleged that Varghese introduced himself as a "Journalist" and demanded Rupees Ten Lakhs to pay for a flat that he had booked. He further accused Varghese of black mailing him with an alleged fake certificate.

The court had in January, 2022 asked the State of Maharashtra not to take any coercive action against Varghese. The Court while granting him interim relief noted that the scenario that was emerging was disturbing. The court had in March 2022 directed handed over the investigation into the cases against Maharashtra's former top cop Param Bir Singh to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Court noted that the controversy began when Singh alleged that the then Home Minister Anil Deshmukh asked him and other police officers to collect a sum of Rs.100 crores as bribes from dance bars and hookah places. Court further noted that this resulted in Anil Deshmukh being taken into custody and being investigated by the CBI.

Court, therefore, held that the "picture emerging is very disturbing that Singh is seeking to transfer the enquiry from the force that he used to head to another independent agency.”

When the matter came up for hearing today, Siddharth Bhatnagar, Sr. Adv, appearing for Varghese, submitted that he has joined the investigation and that a statement has been taken from him by the police. He further asked the court to grant him an anticipatory bail as there has been no complaints from the State that he has not been cooperating.

Rahul Chitnis, advocate, for Maharashtra submitted that the state has filed a counter and that Varghese has been cooperating only after the interim relief was granted by the court.

The court on hearing the submission of the parties noted that Varghese has joined investigation and that a statement has been taken from him. The court thus granted an anticipatory bail to Varghese and granted liberty to the State of Maharashtra to move the Supreme Court in the event he does not cooperate with the investigation.

Case title: Binu Varghese Vs State of Maharashtra