Former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Thursday was suspended from service by the Maharashtra government, The Indian Express. Maharashtra’s director-general of police has been directed to serve the suspension to Singh and another deputy commissioner of police.

Singh has been suspended reportedly for “irregularities and lapses”, an unidentified official told PTI.

Singh had been serving as the director-general of the Maharashtra Home Guard since March. He had not shown up to duty for the last six months. His suspension was cleared by Chief Minister Uddhav Thackery, who returned to his office after three weeks following a spinal surgery.

During the period of suspension, Singh would be paid subsistence allowance, dearness allowance and other allowances as permitted under Rule 4 of All India Services (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1969, only when he proves that he is not employed or running a business elsewhere.

He is also barred from leaving his headquarters without permission from the state director general of police.

Singh has been facing several extortion cases in Maharashtra. The Thane Police have also filed five first information reports against Singh for violating the Scheduled Caste and Schedule Tribe (Atrocities Prevention) Act, the Civil Rights Protection Act and the Maharashtra Police Act.

He had gone absconding in October, following which he was declared a proclaimed offender. Singh made his first public appearance last week before the Crime Branch officers to be questioned in an extortion case filed by a developer Bimal Agarwal.

On Thursday, a magistrate court in Mumbai cancelled the proclamation order against Singh, PTI reported.

Agarwal had alleged that Singh and dismissed Mumbai Police officer Sachin Vaze had extorted Rs 9 lakh from him for sparing his two bars from raids. The developer also complained that Vaze and Singh had forced him to buy two smartphones for them which cost Rs 2.29 lakh.

Vaze also features in Singh’s complaint against former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. He had alleged that Deshmukh had asked Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore every month through illegal channels.

Currently, Vaze and Deshmukh are in judicial custody of National Investigation Agency and the Enforcement Directorate custody, respectively in two different cases.

The Chandiwal Commission, appointed by the Maharashtra government in March, is investigating the corruption allegations that Singh had levelled against Deshmukh. The panel had issued a bailable warrant against Singh in September after he had failed to appear before it on three occasions.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner of Police Parag Manere was also suspended along with Singh, as he too was allegedly involved in extortion, PTI reported. As they are senior officers, the proposal for their suspension went to the chief minister who took the final call.