MUMBAI: CM Eknath Shinde on Thursday reinstated DCP Parag Shyam Manere, who had been suspended on December 2, 2021, after a series of criminal cases, including extortion, was registered against him.
During the suspension period, Manere had been shifted to Nagpur and appointed as additional superintendent (excise).
The first FIR was registered in April last year against the then police commissioner Param Bir Singh and 16 other police officers, including Manere, by the Akola police based on a complaint by inspector Bhimrao Ghadge. In his FIR, Ghadge had alleged that Singh took money for transfer of officers and also for not taking action against a person accused in a cheating case in 2015. He had refused to comply with the “illegal orders”, following which Singh had conspired with other officers to register five FIRs against him, including four in 10 days.
In July 2021, the Thane police had registered a case of extortion and abduction against Singh and Manere and three others at Kopri police station. According to the complaint lodged by businessman Sharad Agarwal, between November 2016 and May 2018, businessmen Sanjay Punamiya, Sunil Jain and Manoj Ghotkar, and Manere and Singh extorted Rs 2 crore from him.
IPS officer Param Bir Singh retired under suspension on June 30, 2022.
A high-level committee headed by the additional chief secretary (home) reviewed the suspension of Manere and found that it was a fit case for reinstatement. Accordingly, a recommendation was made to the competent authority to reinstate Manere with immediate effect. As per the order, the DCP has been reinstated subject to the pending departmental probe as well as proceedings before the court.
